It is ironical how Montresor asks Fortunato to go out because the cellar is bad for Fortunato’s health. The two friends leave the carnival unnoticed and go to the wine cellar, which is also a catacomb, an underground cemetery. Fortunato, who considers himself a great wine connoisseur, is eager to immediately go and examine wine, which is kept in Montresor’s cellar. During the carnival, Montresor tells Fortunato that he has a cask of rare brandy called Amontillado. In the meanwhile, the murderer is waiting for the appropriate moment to apply his horrible idea.

It is ironical how the victim does not have any suspicions and is sure of his safety. Montresor never lets Fortunato know that he hates him the main hero does not drop even a subtle hint of coldness. The narrator tries to justify his actions (Hayes, 2002). He points out that his friend, whose name is Fortunato, has insulted him and he must take revenge. The first-person narrator, whose name is Montresor, tells that he can forgive anything but an insult. The events take place in the unknown Italian city during the carnival. The short story is a narration of revenge, murder, abuse, and madness. The strong impact that the story makes on the reader is created with the help of irony. The text under analysis is his last short story “The Casque of Amontillado.” Edgar Allan Poe creates a gothic tale of revenge and horror. Many of his works include themes of death, burials, and mourning therefore, the writer is considered to be a representative of dark romanticism genre. Edgar Allan Poe was an American short-story writer, essayist, and poet.

Synopsis of the cask of amontillado