Edgar Allan Poe was an American short story writer and critic best known for his fantastical horror stories and his groundbreaking detective novels. Poe considered himself a poet first and foremost. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Although in most of his works his narrators are unreliable and seem crazy, it is not necessarily because Poe was exorcising his own demons. More likely, he was writing the kinds of stories he knew would attract and captivate readers. In “Cask of Amontillado” we have a classic example of such a story. As in many of Poe's works, and in keeping with the 19th century fascination with the subject, the narrative revolves around a buried person, in this case, building. In this macabre and terrifying tale depicting a carefully crafted cold-blooded murder, we can also find several situations where irony is intertwined subtly or overtly. Irony is a subtle humorous perception of inconsistency, in which a seemingly simple statement is undermined by its context so as to give it a very different meaning. In various forms, irony appears in many types of literature, from the tragedy of Sophocles to the novels of Jane Austen and Henry James, but it is especially important in satire, as in Voltaire and Swift. In its simplest form, verbal irony involves a discrepancy between what is said and what is actually meant, as in its crude form, sarcasm. The most sustained structural irony in literature involves the use of a naive or deluded hero or an unreliable narrator whose worldview differs widely from the actual circumstances recognized by the author and readers; literary irony thus flatters the intelligence of its readers to the detriment of a character (or an imaginary narrator). Already from the setting we learn that the author's intent is to insert elements of irony among the elements that tell a horror story. The action takes place during the carnival, a time for dancing and drinking. In contrast to the setting, the crime plot becomes ridiculous. The second element of irony in the writing is the name of Montresor's friend, Fortunato; obviously derives from “lucky”. Not only is he unlucky and about to be buried alive, but there is an added layer of irony: the name Fortunato usually belongs to some saints and martyrs of the Catholic world, while Fortunato indulges in drinking and debauchery, being so far from sainthood . Montresor meets his friend “around dusk” and greets him in a friendly manner, saying “My dear Fortunato, it is fortunate that you have met. How extraordinarily well you look today." Montresor's attitude towards Fortunato is ambiguous and ironic: he says he met him by chance and willingly, while in reality he carefully plans every step towards Fortunato's death. Furthermore, Fortunato wears a costume jester – “He had a tight-fitting party dress, and his head was surmounted by the conical cap and bells” yet Montresor compliments him on his good looks Next, Montresor lures his friend into his cellar by saying he has received a barrel of Amontillado and wants Fortunato's advice on the authenticity or otherwise of the wine. It is well known that a true wine connoisseur should only carry out his tastings when sober, while Fortunato, although enthusiastic, had already "drank a lot". “times” and the air becomes toxic, the cellar walls are “encrusted with nitre”. The salt and humidity give Fortunato a coughing fit. Ironically/mockingly, Montresor shows signs of concern for the disease. friend and urges him.