Reverse Psychology in The Cask Of Amontillado Essay

In the Cask of Amontillado, Edgar Allen Poe uses a variety of writing techniques including reverse psychology, foreshadowing, and irony. You almost feel as if you were there in the story by the way he describes the setting and atmosphere. I believe he uses these writing techniques to pull you into the story more. There are many examples of his writing techniques throughout this entire story.

Poe uses reverse psychology in this story against the attendants of his home. He has it planned all along what he is going to do to Fortunato and that nobody could be around. He tells his attendants that he will not be home that evening, that he will return in the morning, but he still expected them to be there. These orders were sufficient; I well knew, to insure their immediate disappearance, one and all, as soon as my back was turned. Poe knew that by telling them he would surely not be home until the morning, that they would also leave, which is part of his plan the entire time.

Reverse psychology is also used against Fortunato. Fortunato prided himself on his connoisseurship in wine. Montresor lures Fortunato into his vaults, and his death, by telling him that he has just gotten a pipe of Amontillado. Montresor knows that Fortunato would want to come and try this wine and tell him if it truly is Amontillado. Fortunato had a bad cold so Montresor uses this and the fact that there is another connoisseur in the town, Luchesi. Montresor tells Fortunato, My friend, no. It is not the engagement, but the severe cold with which I perceive you are afflicted. The vaults are insufferably damp. They are encrusted with nitre. Montresor is using reverse psychology the entire time against Fortunato, knowing that Fortunato was not going to pass this up because of his pride.

Foreshadowing is used a few times in this story. The one example that really sticks out is the Montresors arms. Their arms were a huge foot crushing a serpant. The foot is representing Montresor and the serpent is Fortunato. This is foreshadowing Fortunatos death by Montresor. A serpent is a vicious snake, and at one point Fortunato says a vicious remark about Montresors family. This is the whole reason Montresor is seeking revenge on Fortunato. And finally in the end he kills him, just like the serpent got stepped on and killed.

There is a lot of irony in this story. The first example is in the name of title itself. Cask is a big wooden barrel where wine is kept. The word cask is also in the word casket which is where you put a dead body. The name Fortunato is also ironic because the word Fortune is in his name which means wealth and luck. After reading this story we know that Fortunato was anything but fortunate. At the festivities, Fortunato was dressed up as a gesture, which is a clown. He is very foolish for listening and trusting Montresor. When Fortunato is cheersing Montresor, he says, I drink to the buried that repose around us. Never knowing that within a few moments he would also be one of the buried.

Poe uses a variety of writing techniques in his stories. It helps you to understand and appreciate the story more. A lot of things in this story were very ironic, you could see a lot of things coming, and you noticed how Poe used his reverse psychology to get what he wanted.