Irony is abundant in “The cask of Amontillado. There are many examples of irony, but only three are included in this essay. Irony is defined as the expressions of ones meaning by using language that normally means the opposite. Edger Allen Poe had to have been a huge fan of irony due to its abundance in his writings. Poe’s love of irony is obvious to anyone reading his stories and this one is no exception. A few examples of irony are Fortunato’s name, the conversation regarding the masons and Montresor’s reaction to the crime.
Firstly, the definition of Fortunato’s name is ironic considering his name means fortunate. His name is Italian in origin and simply means fortunate one or fortunate. And while Fortunato’s …show more content…
A free mason was a secret society of men, a brotherhood if you will. While venturing into the catacombs Fortunato makes a gesture of sorts after drinking, when Montresor doesn’t comprehend its meaning Fortunato questions him on whether he is part of the brotherhood or not. If he is a free mason of not. Montresor replies that yes, he is. When asked for a sign to prove his claim Montresor replies “It is this” (239) and “produces a trowel from beneath his roquelaure”(239). Not a simple of a free mason, but a mason nonetheless. This is ironic because a mason is also the term of a bricklayer, which is what Montresor did when he walled Fortunato up into the catacombs.
Lastly, there is irony to be found in Montresor’s reaction to the weather after he committed his crime. Poe writes Montresor saying “my heart grew sick- on account of the dampness of the catacombs” (240). This is ironic because Montresor was not sick due to his heinous crime of burying a man alive, but rather due to the effect the weather would have on his own health. Furthermore, Montresor felt no guilt over his crime, and he didn’t worry about being caught or the fact he had just murdered a