The Cask of Amontillado and the Raven - Literature review Example

(Teacher) Critical Analysis of Poe’s The Cask of Amontillado and The Raven INTRODUCTION Poe’s pre-Civil War ics The Cask of Amontillado and The Raven both speak of dread, death and darkness. The Cask of Amontillado is a story of a man who sought revenge on an old friend and he tells of how he carried out the murder up to the very last detail. The Raven, on the other hand, is a narrative poem that shows a young man’s undying devotion to his dead lover and his exchange of words with his unexpected visitor. Both The Cask of Amontillado and The Raven lend themselves to various parallelisms in terms of point of view, symbolism and imagery, each of which will be discussed separately for each of the two classic works of Poe. ANALYSIS OF THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO The Cask of Amontillado is a horror story that features themes of revenge, betrayal and murder. The purpose of the elements of this short story is to bring to life the horror of the aforementioned themes. The point of view, symbolism and imagery function to achieve this end. Point of View The first person point of view is used in The Cask of Amontillado. The narrator is Montresor, a cunning and vile character who is also the protagonist in the story. Throughout the whole story he remains dedicated to his own cold, brutal and vengeful point of view. For example, in his narration of the events of how he murdered Fortunato, Montresor does not show any remorse at all. The evil, cruelty and cunning of Montresor make the point of view a necessary component of the horror of the story. In the latter part of the story, Montresor sits down upon the bones while Fortunato is struggling to break free of his chains in order “that [he] might hearken to it with the more satisfaction” (DiYanni 147). Another instance of Montresor’s vileness and cunning is his deception of Fortunato by telling him at the beginning of the story that he “[has] received a pipe of what passes for Amontillado but [he has his] doubts” (DiYanni 144). Moreover, several times throughout the story he preys upon Fortunato’s pride by falsely discouraging him from pursuing the plan by telling the latter that “[Montresor is] on [his] way to Luchesi” anyway (DiYanni 144) and, while descending the staircase, “[they] will go back [for Fortunato] will be ill and [Montresor] cannot be responsible” (DiYanni 145). Little does Fortunato know that the hidden purpose of this vile man Montresor is to further lure him into the death plan. Montresor’s reverse psychology is one effective way to trigger the childish pride of such characters as Fortunato. If Poe had not created an insane Montresor, there would be no reason for the murder as conscience may possibly set in at any point during the plotting of the murder. Had Montresor been portrayed a good and sane man, he would be bothered by the dictates of his conscience while on the verge of committing murder even if his reason were most logical. Moreover, for the choice of the first person point of view, Poe may have realized that nothing could be more horrifying than a murder story told first-hand by the murderer himself. Symbolism The symbolisms used by Poe in The Cask of Amontillado all have the purpose of bringing about the horrifying mood of the story. The first of which is the carnival. The murder happened at dusk “one evening during the supreme madness of the carnival season” (DiYanni 144). The carnival, with all its games, toys, fancy rides and clowns, symbolizes nothing but madness and revelry in such madness. If personified, the carnival is likened to Montresor himself. This madness is complemented by Montresor putting on a mask of black silk (DiYanni 145), which obviously symbolizes deception. Madness and deception are the two most essential tools Montresor employs to commit such a gruesome act. Every other symbol speaks of death and helps to emphasize this theme. Fortunato’s costume composed of a “tight-fitting parti-striped dress” and “conical cap and bells” (DiYanni 144) depict him as someone who is deserving of humiliation, shame and consequently, death. Another symbol, the coat of arms of the Montresors, whose motto is “Nemo me impune lacessit” (DiYanni 146), or “No one attacks me with impunity,” is an ominous symbol of death for Fortunato. The motto actually translates as “Attack me with impunity or you die.” The emblem of the coat of arms, where “the foot crushes a serpent…whose fangs are [embedded] in the heel” (DiYanni 146), also predicts the end of Fortunato who himself is symbolized by the snake. Imagery The imagery employed by Poe in The Cask of Amontillado further adds to the horror. Poe used a wide variety of objects that either symbolize death or speak of its omen. At one point at the beginning of the story, Montresor and Fortunato “stood together on the damp ground of the catacombs of the Montresors” (DiYanni 145). The catacombs are man-made subterranean cemeteries and this is such a fitting object to reinforce the horrifying imagery of the story. There is also a “white webwork which gleams from the cavern walls” (DiYanni 145) and the walls of the crypt “lined with human remains piled to the vault overhead” (DiYanni 146). All these add to the overall horror that ensues. Moreover, the mere descent of both Montresor and Fortunato signify a descent into the underworld and further describes an eerie imagery. ANALYSIS OF THE RAVEN The Raven is an intense and emotionally-charged narrative poem whose three elements of point of view, symbolism and imagery all contribute to the theme of dread and the specter of death that abound in all 108 lines of the poem. Point of View The poem, just like in The Cask of Amontillado, uses the first person point of view with the intense, melodramatic and frantic young man as the narrator. The man obviously borders upon insanity, which can be reasonable due to the recent death of his lover named Lenore. The main proof of the narrator’s insanity is the very fact that he can imagine a talking raven and one which somehow responds to his cries of grief and anguish. For the choice of the first person point of view, Poe may have been thinking, just like in The Cask of Amontillado, that there is no more reliable source of information for the story than the person who experienced it first-hand. The grief of death or loss can be therefore best viewed from the perspective of the bereaved. The intensity of the emotions of the narrator makes the point of view an extremely essential tool in conveying the pain of death or at least its aftermath, which is the obvious purpose of the poem. The narrator expresses extreme sadness when he says in line 10 that “from [his] books surcease of sorrow – sorrow for the lost Lenore” (DiYanni 838). Extreme fear is also expressed in line 25 when he mentions “deep into that darkness…[he] stood there…fearing” (DiYanni 838). Lastly, extreme hatred is shown by the narrator as he shrieks in line 97 “be that word [their] sign of parting, bird or fiend!” (DiYanni 840). There is also much hatred in his words as he further drives the raven away in line 100 telling it to “leave [his] loneliness unbroken and quit the bust above [his] door” (DiYanni 840). All these extreme emotions may characterize someone who has just experienced the death of a loved one and the point of view of The Raven is effective in giving justice to the description of such an experience. Symbolism Various symbolisms are employed by Poe in the Raven and each of which contribute to bringing alive the theme of death as well as the pain that ensues from it. The deathly color purple as the color of the rustling curtains in line 13 (DiYanni 839), the month of December being the cold, final month of the year in line 7 (DiYanni 838), the mention of Night’s Plutonian Shore in lines 47 and 98 (DiYanni 839 & 841), and the raven itself all signify one thing and that is death. The raven, which is considered as an omen of death in orthodox religions, is a particularly strong symbolism in the poem being considered its title. The only word of the raven “Nevermore” (DiYanni 839-841) speak of the finality of death, and in the poem – the fact that the narrator will never see his Lenore anymore. Other significant symbolisms that contribute to the dread in the poem include the chamber where the narrator is and the darkness of the night especially when mentioned in line 24 “Darkness there, and nothing more” (DiYanni 839). Darkness may also symbolize the unknown, or the questions, that awaits both the one who just died as well as the bereaved. To make the reader empathize with the pain that the narrator experiences, Poe utilizes certain allusions to ancient literature. The nepenthe in line 82 sought by the narrator to forget Lenore (DiYanni 840) is actually a mythological drink that will take away all sadness as mentioned in Homer’s The Odyssey. The Balm of Gilead that the narrator is desperately imploring in line 89 (DiYanni 841) in order to perhaps heal himself or the pain of loss is actually an allusion to the medicinal resin used in the Book of Jeremiah 8:22 in the Bible. Poe is successful in using these symbolisms to reinforce the idea of death and pain that the narrator himself has within him. Imagery The Raven is also rich in horrifying imagery characteristic of Poe and his other works. Among the ones Poe uses to establish the eerie atmosphere of the poem is the opening line itself “Once upon a midnight dreary” (DiYanni 838). The midnight is symbolic of the witching hour and the hour of transformation not only of witches and vampires but also of other creatures. The raven therefore may have been an animal transformation of a human creature or perhaps a soul. There is therefore no reason not to consider it a reincarnation of Lenore herself. The mention of darkness in line 25 as the narrator “deep into the darkness peering” is also another line that reinforces the horrifying imagery of the poem. The fact that the poem happens at midnight and that darkness surrounds the narrator’s chamber somehow adds to the total impact of the poem. The whole setting of the chamber surrounded by darkness also alludes to the mind of the one who has just experienced the death of a loved one – a mind which is immersed in confusion, in darkness and the occult, and which is on the brink of insanity. CONCLUSION Poe’s two masterpieces both illustrate death in two ways – the moments before it as in The Cask of Amontillado and the moments after it as in The Raven. Two types of death are also described by these two works – death caused by murder and followed by satisfaction as in The Cask of Amontillado and death (possibly) brought about by natural causes and followed by extreme grief and pain as in The Raven. No matter how death is portrayed by Poe in these two masterpieces of his, only one thing is certain – Poe uses the point of view, symbolism and imagery in each work to intensify the themes of death and most of all, to demonstrate his own literary genius. Works Cited DiYanni, Robert. Literature: Approaches to Fiction, Poetry, & Drama. 2nd ed. New York:  McGraw-Hill, 2008.  Print. Read More

Had Montresor been portrayed a good and sane man, he would be bothered by the dictates of his conscience while on the verge of committing murder even if his reason were most logical. Moreover, for the choice of the first person point of view, Poe may have realized that nothing could be more horrifying than a murder story told first-hand by the murderer himself. Symbolism The symbolisms used by Poe in The Cask of Amontillado all have the purpose of bringing about the horrifying mood of the story.

The first of which is the carnival. The murder happened at dusk “one evening during the supreme madness of the carnival season” (DiYanni 144). The carnival, with all its games, toys, fancy rides and clowns, symbolizes nothing but madness and revelry in such madness. If personified, the carnival is likened to Montresor himself. This madness is complemented by Montresor putting on a mask of black silk (DiYanni 145), which obviously symbolizes deception. Madness and deception are the two most essential tools Montresor employs to commit such a gruesome act.

Every other symbol speaks of death and helps to emphasize this theme. Fortunato’s costume composed of a “tight-fitting parti-striped dress” and “conical cap and bells” (DiYanni 144) depict him as someone who is deserving of humiliation, shame and consequently, death. Another symbol, the coat of arms of the Montresors, whose motto is “Nemo me impune lacessit” (DiYanni 146), or “No one attacks me with impunity,” is an ominous symbol of death for Fortunato. The motto actually translates as “Attack me with impunity or you die.

” The emblem of the coat of arms, where “the foot crushes a serpent…whose fangs are [embedded] in the heel” (DiYanni 146), also predicts the end of Fortunato who himself is symbolized by the snake. Imagery The imagery employed by Poe in The Cask of Amontillado further adds to the horror. Poe used a wide variety of objects that either symbolize death or speak of its omen. At one point at the beginning of the story, Montresor and Fortunato “stood together on the damp ground of the catacombs of the Montresors” (DiYanni 145).

The catacombs are man-made subterranean cemeteries and this is such a fitting object to reinforce the horrifying imagery of the story. There is also a “white webwork which gleams from the cavern walls” (DiYanni 145) and the walls of the crypt “lined with human remains piled to the vault overhead” (DiYanni 146). All these add to the overall horror that ensues. Moreover, the mere descent of both Montresor and Fortunato signify a descent into the underworld and further describes an eerie imagery.

ANALYSIS OF THE RAVEN The Raven is an intense and emotionally-charged narrative poem whose three elements of point of view, symbolism and imagery all contribute to the theme of dread and the specter of death that abound in all 108 lines of the poem. Point of View The poem, just like in The Cask of Amontillado, uses the first person point of view with the intense, melodramatic and frantic young man as the narrator. The man obviously borders upon insanity, which can be reasonable due to the recent death of his lover named Lenore.

The main proof of the narrator’s insanity is the very fact that he can imagine a talking raven and one which somehow responds to his cries of grief and anguish. For the choice of the first person point of view, Poe may have been thinking, just like in The Cask of Amontillado, that there is no more reliable source of information for the story than the person who experienced it first-hand. The grief of death or loss can be therefore best viewed from the perspective of the bereaved. The intensity of the emotions of the narrator makes the point of view an extremely essential tool in conveying the pain of death or at least its aftermath, which is the obvious purpose of the poem.

The narrator expresses extreme sadness when he says in line 10 that “from [his] books surcease of sorrow – sorrow for the lost Lenore” (DiYanni 838).

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