Edgar Allan Poe

This story is very heavy with dark themes and spiritual imagery. Words such as: dull, dark, ghastly, gloom, perish, fear, dread, and haunted are just some of the examples of dark themed words used throughout this narrative. Excluding the dreary scene of the house, the mysterious atmosphere of the story is already very relevant in due to the fact that the narrator reveals that, until the letter, he had not heard from Roderick since they were children. In the letter, Roderick says that he still considers the narrator to be his close friend even though they have not seen each other in years. The mysterious theme continues with the events such as Madeline’s unknown illness and her burial in the house’s own tomb. Then themes such as guilt and fear take over when Roderick realizes that they may have buried Madeline alive. That’s taken over by anger when Madeline kills Roderick and is then once again replaced by fear by both Roderick and the narrator who flees the scene. There is a constant sense of dread throughout this story and no common sense of what may happen due to the spiritual references. Therefore, “mysterious” is the central theme of the narrative.  

This story is very heavy with dark themes and spiritual imagery. Words such as: dull, dark, ghastly, gloom, perish, fear, dread, and haunted are just some of the examples of dark themed words used throughout this narrative. Excluding the dreary scene of the house, the mysterious atmosphere of the story is already very relevant in due to the fact that the narrator reveals that, until the letter, he had not heard from Roderick since they were children. In the letter, Roderick says that he still considers the narrator to be his close friend even though they have not seen each other in years. The mysterious theme continues with the events such as Madeline’s unknown illness and her burial in the house’s own tomb. Then themes such as guilt and fear take over when Roderick realizes that they may have buried Madeline alive. That’s taken over by anger when Madeline kills Roderick and is then once again replaced by fear by both Roderick and the narrator who flees the scene. There is a constant sense of dread throughout this story and no common sense of what may happen due to the spiritual references. Therefore, “mysterious” is the central theme of the narrative.  

This narrative begins with the narrator telling the readers that a man named Fortunato has greatly insulted him and he plans to get revenge. He then reveals that Fortunato is connoisseur of wine and is going to use that to his advantage. He approaches Fortunato at a carnival in a disguise. He tells Fortunato that he has acquired a pipe that would pass for Amontillado, a Spanish drink. The narrator then jests him by telling that if he is busy, then he will ask a man named Luchesi, some sort of rival to Fortunato, to compare the drinks. Fortunato becomes annoyed and tells the narrator that he will taste the drink. The narrator reveals that he has made sure that no one will interrupt his plan because he sent his servants off to this carnival. The walls of the vaults in which they travel to retrieve the pipe were covered in nitre and caused Fortunato to cough. The narrator insists that they should leave due to the nitre affecting Fortunato’s health but he refuses. The narrator then gives him wine to drink. As they reach a crypt, human bones are decorated on three of the four walls. The fourth wall’s bones had fallen on the ground. The narrator tells Fortunato that the indent in the wall where the fourth wall was exposed was where the Amontillado is. Fortunto is intoxicated at this point and goes to where the Amontillado is. The narrator then suddenly chains Fortunato to a stone. The narrator taunts Fortunato as he walls up the entrance to the crypt to trap Fortunato in alive. The entire time, Fortunato is screaming for help until he suddenly laughs and asks the narrator surely this is a joke. Finally, the narrator finishes walling up the crypt and replaces the bones on the fourth wall.

This narrative begins with the narrator telling the readers that a man named Fortunato has greatly insulted him and he plans to get revenge. He then reveals that Fortunato is connoisseur of wine and is going to use that to his advantage. He approaches Fortunato at a carnival in a disguise. He tells Fortunato that he has acquired a pipe that would pass for Amontillado, a Spanish drink. The narrator then jests him by telling that if he is busy, then he will ask a man named Luchesi, some sort of rival to Fortunato, to compare the drinks. Fortunato becomes annoyed and tells the narrator that he will taste the drink. The narrator reveals that he has made sure that no one will interrupt his plan because he sent his servants off to this carnival. The walls of the vaults in which they travel to retrieve the pipe were covered in nitre and caused Fortunato to cough. The narrator insists that they should leave due to the nitre affecting Fortunato’s health but he refuses. The narrator then gives him wine to drink. As they reach a crypt, human bones are decorated on three of the four walls. The fourth wall’s bones had fallen on the ground. The narrator tells Fortunato that the indent in the wall where the fourth wall was exposed was where the Amontillado is. Fortunto is intoxicated at this point and goes to where the Amontillado is. The narrator then suddenly chains Fortunato to a stone. The narrator taunts Fortunato as he walls up the entrance to the crypt to trap Fortunato in alive. The entire time, Fortunato is screaming for help until he suddenly laughs and asks the narrator surely this is a joke. Finally, the narrator finishes walling up the crypt and replaces the bones on the fourth wall.