How Does Poe Create Tension In The Cask Of Amontillado

How far will someone take their family motto? When someone’s family motto says “No one attacks me without paying dearly,” we think someone is going to die. Indeed this is the case of the story. This story is more than just horror and suspense; it is about a successful murder and revenge. People will do anything, even go to extraordinary lengths to exact revenge like in the story, “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe, in which Poe creates an atmosphere of ongoing horror and tremendous tension between two characters, Montresor and Fortunato, as one plans to kill a former friend. Not only it will attract reader’s attention; this will make them go crazy wondering why would someone murder a person, who once were friends. The story begins with Montresor speaking to an unknown person about his successful revenge of Fortunato 50 years ago. “Montresor tells of the motive and the execution of the perfect crime he committed in the fictional past (50 years previously) to a silent, unidentified listener in the fictional present” (Benton). We have an idea that Montresor trusts this person if he is willing to admit that he committed murder. The narrator does not say to whom he is talking with; therefore it could be anyone from one of his friends to one of his co-workers. Not …show more content…
There is a hole in a wall where Montresor tells Fortunato that the Amontillado stored inside. As Fortunato goes inside, Montresor suddenly chains a wasted Fortunato to a stone. “When they reach a small niche in the wall, Montresor quickly manacles Fortunato and begins to seal the only escape route” (Gillespie and Naden). Montresor has so far made sure that no one has seen them together by using the disguise of their costume in his favor. He gave more wine to a tipsy Fortunato, to have his guard down and now chained Fortunato, so he will not be able to