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The Irony Of The Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allan Poe

Decent Essays

The Irony in The Cask of Amontillado “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe is a story full of irony. Irony is defined as a literary technique in which what appears differs radically from what is actually the case. In addition, irony can be divided into three groups: dramatic, verbal, and situational. Dramatic irony is when the readers notice something before the characters do. Verbal irony is when the characters say something that differs significantly from what they really mean. Situational irony is when the actual result is different from what was initially expected. In “The Cask of Amontillado,” Poe combines all of these ironies to tell the story and to construct the personalities of the characters in an entertaining way.
Dramatic irony can be seen in Poe’s work in many ways. First, the name “Fortunato” (deriving from fortune in English) is a clear example of irony, since the character appears to have everything except fortune. He is heading to his death from the beginning of the story. Professor Nevi, from the Department of English in Oregon, referred to Fortunato’s name when he says, “Although it would help, a student don’t need be versed in a foreign languages to notice that Fortunato’s name is ironic. He is definitively not the fortune one ”(Nevi 462). In this statement, Professor Nevi is clearly affirming how easily it is to determine that Fortunato’s name represent an irony. Furthermore, the way that Poe describes Fortunate as dressed like a court jester

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