The tone in this short story is very ominous and dark. The narrator creates this sense of evil because he is filled with hate and anger, which in turn may possibly convey Poe’s own anger and hate at the hand life has dealt him, like losing his wife, birthmother, and …show more content…
One of the biggest symbols is Fortunato’s own name. Fortunato is the Italian word for fortunate or blessed; this is quite ironic because his character is not fortunate at all (Collins). In fact, Fortunato is drunk the whole time and has no idea what is going on. This mimics Poe’s supposed thought that he was not fortunate and blessed in life and Fortunato’s love of wine as his medicine also mimics Poe’s alcoholism. Another symbol in this story is Fortunato’s outfit at the carnival, “The man wore motley. He had on a tight-fitting parti-striped dress and his head was surmounted by the conical cap and bells." (Poe, 3-4). Fortunato was not only dressed as a fool but he was also a fool for falling in Montresor’s trap as well. This plays on the idea that Poe may have thought of himself as a fool for all his