Irony, both dramatic and verbal, play a crucial role in this short story. Fortunato's name itself is ironic, for the poor man is anything but fortunate. In addition, he is dressed in " a cap and bells," resembling the outfit of a clown or a fool. This could possibly be because Mon

tresor intends to fool him as part of his evil plan. There are numerous examples of verbal irony throughout the story. Perhaps the most obvious is when Montresor insists that he is a mason, even daring to pull out his trowel that he would use to seal Fortunato's fate. At one point, Fortunato insists that he will not die of a cough when Montresor inquires about his health. While researching this short story and Poe, I learned that there is symbolism in Montresor's final statement to Fortunato. He says "in pace reqiescat" which means "rest in peace" but according to Martha Womack, "in pace" also refers to a very secure prison.

Clearly, irony, point of view, and symbolism mold this short story into a powerful tale of revenge. Poe uses these aspects to shape the story in virtually every possible way. A tale of simple revenge becomes a tightly woven work of the narrator's evil mind.

The story contains various examples of symbolism that give the tale a deeper meaning than ju

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 665
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)