The Cask of Monte Cristo? That Doesn't Sound Right.....

       Edgar Allen Poe offers a dark story depicting cold, calculating revenge in “The Cask of Amontillado.” It wasn’t the first time I had read this story in a Literature class, however this is the first time I have had the opportunity to write about it. Whenever I began reading, I thought back to how I had felt about it after I had read it the first time. The story had been part of a unit on Poe, and so I viewed this story as merely another example of his writing. Poe’s writing style paints a vivid and realistic picture that causes the reader to live the different situations he puts forth. I remember shuddering at the chills running down my spine when I thought of being chained to a wall and watching my friend seal my death meticulously with stones and mortar. I have to admit I was also impressed with the meticulousness Montresor shows throughout the situation, thinking of every last detail and choosing each word so carefully. Poe does an excellent job of constructing this dark deceit, making the dialogue drip with irony from beginning to end.

Having read it before, I was more aware of the little details throughout the story as I combed through it another time. The subtlety which Poe uses to get his messages across is genius. I get the impression that his subtlety is accompanied with cynicism in stories like “The Cask of Amontillado,” reflecting his attitude that if you can’t pick-up on his little objectives then you are most likely guilty of said offense. For instance, the fact that Montresor is trying to finish his masonry by Ash Wednesday at the end of the story. The irony that accompanies a man trying to finish the task of killing his friend before a holy day is enormous, and, yet, it is mentioned only as a quick remark that he wants to finish before midnight. People, myself included, have a tendency to stick to our rigidities of dogma, but often overlook how our daily actions reflect those same beliefs. Poe, amidst all of the other ironies and entertainment of this story, throws in a slight towards those people who mistake righteousness for self-righteousness. Well played, Poe, well played.