Essential Irony: Story Elaborates

The short stories of Tell-Tale Heart and Cask of Amontillado were written by the author Allan Poe respectively in the year 1843 and 1846 (Hammond). Both of these short stories have a similar gothic and an atmosphere that is mysterious through the plot setting. The Tell-Tale Heart differ on the reason that there is a killing of an innocent man, Cask of Amontillado explain on the theory of unity, and people should not revenge for wrongful doing. It explores on how the character referred as Montresor wants to revenge on Fortunato for unspecifield insults by luring him to the family vaults to inspect the wine he had purchased. According to Poe, he highlights an opportunity that is unique to analyzing to the way individuals behave across the short stories, whereby as reader you ought to study the minds of persons who are insane, and they claim they are sane.

The plot of the two short stories shows there is a lot fear, and they make the rise of the tension as the timeline of the story escalate. (Poe, Edgar Allan) Moreover, this is seen to both of the stories even though they differ on the how the events develops. Tell-Tale Heart short story begin at the prison or can be referred to the health center for mental cases that is most likely. Main character elaborates on the preceding of the actions he did, that made him be taken to that place. This clearly demonstrates we know the plot of the story. The use of the technique of the flashback makes the readers focus clearly on the concepts that they regard to be less important. One such aspect is ask is why do heartbeat seem to very loud? In this story, it illustrates how the noise at the time had arisen over all and it gradually increased , which eventually grew louder. These dark events are significant in this short story,  they do not only make the story to be thrilling by the anaphor, but the story also leads individuals to the most comprehension that is on the right track towards the main character behaviors on the reasons why he is driven by his state of mind at the time (Hayes).

The way the writes the stories makes the tension in the story to rise more so towards the end of the stories. It can sometimes feel as if the text itself is speeding up for the readers since it is action packed towards the end as it contains many repetitions and the use of the exclamation marks. Nonetheless, there is the use of the monolog that is a critical and a central aspect to both of the stories and it affects the atmosphere, since the main characters are engaging themselves more. No other person tries to calm them down in any way or asks how they are doing; in fact, they become crazier if confronted (Harvey).

In the story of Cask of Amontillado is on the atmosphere during the Carnival season, which is a kind of the Mardi Gras during the period when every individual are  in the Masquerade and thus appealing to something, which is not the case.  The story is embedded on dark and a mysterious tale of Montresor and his friend Fortunato (Harvey).  This character makes sure that all his servant were not at home to prevent him plotting his plan by giving them strict orders not to leave. He also makes sure that Fortunato would follow him to the cellar of wine by exploiting on his pride and asking him not to go. Nonetheless, Montresor clearly knows the plot he has is going to end this makes it possible for him to play the little ironical tricks on Fortunato. For example, in an instance, Fortunato says that he will not die of a cough, Montresor knowingly replies to this as ‘true’. Another example is when Fortunato drinks a toast to the dead that were lying at the catacombs around the place they were, Montresor ironically also drinks to Fortunato long life (Poe).

Essential irony in the story elaborates deeper than these aspects; in essence, at the start, Montresor explain there are the two major criteria of carrying a revenge. One is them is Avengers should be punished without them being punished in return, and they should be regarded as the Avenger to the individual have done the wrong. Nonetheless, there is no part in the short story has Montresor told Fortunato he was plotting a revenge. Besides Montresor explains to Fortunato on the story a crime he committed 50 years ago it, which clearly suggests Montresor is himself now, and he is dying and confessing. This shows that Fortunato is seen as a priest who is regarded as his final confessor (Harvey). The crime of Montresor crime against Fortunato can further be supported in the story on the details of Montresor coat of arm. This metonymic represents that Montresor is clearly crushing metaphoric of the serpent Fortunato for the bite. The major irony of this story comes when Montresor tried to fulfil the 2 criteria of revenge; Fortunately for Fortunato he had performed on this better than Montresor did. Moreover, the tone that is elaborated on the story suggested that he was enjoying telling it now just as he had enjoyed committing the crime in the past (Hammond). This evident on the surface, the story seemed to be a simple revenge narration, but in that, it is a complicated story that is riddled with ironical attires. All the details elaborated in the story contributes to the central effects, and it tells the overall design, which communicates the meaning (Hammond).

If we take a deeper look into the spectacular personalities in both of the stories, we make interpretation and conclusion that the protagonists are defending their extreme behaviors they exhibit. This, for example, is seen in Tell-Tale Heart where the protagonist tries to argue for the things he had committed several times (Harvey). This can also be seen on the Cask of Amontillado when Montresor highlights the crimes he had committed against Fortunato as a confession to save his soul. The denial of the madness can almost appear logical to some people. Nonetheless, it cannot justify the means of mitigating the circumstances. Another similarity between the two stories is the setting of the plot (Hayes). The story is set in a mystical atmosphere, and there is a lot of fear, which makes the tension rise up as the timeline of the stories develops. In additions, the two stories the protagonists contemplate and confess on the actions they had done in the past. The TELL Tale Heart shows the main character is in the prison, and he has flashbacks of the things he has done (Poe). On the same is seen on the Cask of Amontillado when the protagonists confess to the crime he committed fifty years ago before he took his revenge. Besides, it is also evident that the two titles say a lot about the narrators. In the story of Tell Tale Heart, it can be related to the narrator and his own heart. The individuals cannot bear the actions he has done at last, and we can clearly think this is related to his own heart that keeps pounding so hard towards the end of the story due to the feelings of guilty. This equally applies to the other story the narrator is so oppressed by his guilty feeling that he confess to the crimes he committed fifty years ago to save his soul (Poe, Edgar Allan). The difference that exists between the two stories in Tell-Tale Heart an innocent man is killed for the wrong that he had not committed on the other story Montresor wants to kill Fortunato for the general insult he claimed has committed (Poe).

The author of the short stories Poe has mastered on the genre by creating a very fearful environment; more so making the home a place that is frightening. The author was able to change the abilities of the human nature to become an entirely big aspect, which made the stories to be complex to analyze and we as the readers ought to think like the psychologist to grasp the right comprehension of these stories that are unique. The stories explores on the aspect of killing an innocent man for Tell Tale Heart and the other a friend want to kill another for unspecified insult that is not highlighted. The individual takes advantage that the friend is drunk and lures him to catacomb an underground cemetery that belong to their family. The two stories are based on the various elements; these are both have characters, they both have a plot or the plan that is conflicted on the actions of the characters, which keeps the readers alive. These stories have a deeper meaning and one needs to clearly explore to get the real issues raised as the case of Cask of Amontillado explores on the theory of unity.

Hammond, John R. An Edgar Allan Poe companion: a guide to the short stories, romances and essays. Springer, 2016.

Harvey, Ronald C. The Critical History of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym: A Dialogue with Unreason. Routledge, 2015.

Hayes, Kevin J. Edgar Allan Poe in Context. Cambridge University Press , 2013.

Poe, E. A. The complete tales & poems of Edgar Allan Poe. Race Point Pub, 2014.

Poe, Edgar Allan. Complete Stories and Poems of Edgar Allen Poe. Doubleday, 2012.