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Emory Bouffard Instructor Oberg Language Arts 11 6 September 2018 Euphemism, Foreshadowing, and Sensory Details in “The Cask of Amontillado” Edgar Allan Poe had the incredible ability to immerse readers into his stories, and to remove any hope of restful nights. In ​The Cask of Amontillado,​ Edgar Allan Poe uses details to overwhelm the reader with a sense of guilt and horror; almost as if the reader has learned so much about the situation, that they bear some responsibility for the events. Poe does this through his extensive use of rhetorical devices like euphemism, to express the psychotic and unnatural thoughts and the ways the narrator detaches himself from the situation; foreshadowing, using his subtle sarcasm to create a realistic character; and sensory details to immerse the reader into the depths of his imagination. Euphemism is the ability to twist a phrase into something more pleasant than it appears to be. It’s used to avoid saying something in a more candid tone. Poe uses this to his advantage throughout ​The Cask of Amontillado,​ as the narrator is an insane man, and insanity can often be shown through the way that one might twist a situation in their mind to make it easier to cope with. For example, when Montresor abandons his friend in the catacombs, instead of stating that Fortunato was screaming, Poe writes that “A succession of loud and shrill screams, bursting suddenly from the throat of a chained form, seemed to thrust me violently back,”(9). Instead of called Fortunato by name, he is

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referred to as nothing more than a “form.” This is a more pleasant way to think about the situation, by dehumanizing the victim of the horrible act. Often times Poe uses euphemism to let the reader make inferences to what he truly means. This is shown near the end when Montresor speaks to his friend about the nitre and that “it is very damp” so he must “positively leave”(8) him. Poe uses euphemisms to express the fact that Montresor’s friend (Fortunato) will suffocate with the lack of oxygen, while he avoids saying this outright . And with that, Montresor shall abandon Fortunato in the catacombs, to only ​envision​ the cask of Amontillado in his final moments. Poe’s use of euphemism allows the reader to imagine the situation vividly, and realize the meaning behind the dark words Montresor utters. While euphemism is an incredible use of rhetorical devices, foreshadowing is arguably the most crucial device in Poe’s writing. Poe is an unique writer in the way that he uses foreshadowing. Because his stories are so centered around the characters, foreshadowing must also be in the form of how the character would think it. In this case, Montresor has very dark, sometimes extremely subtle uses of foreshadowing. For instance, Poe’s subtle use of foreshadowing is found when Montresor points out the fact that the vaults are “encrusted with nitre”(4), when many readers would not assume that it’s the nitre and lack of oxygen that will be the cause of Fortunato’s death ; or when Montresor toasts to Fortunato’s “long life”(6), in an instance of sarcasm in his foreshadowing, as he is going to murder Fortunato. One of the subtlest moments of foreshadowing in the story is when Montresor states his coat of arms, “A huge human foot d’or, in a field of azure; the foot crushes a

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serpent rampant whose fangs are imbedded in the heel,” and with it the motto “​Nemo me impune lacessit​”(6). What the reader might not realize is that the serpent represents Montresor, who had been insulted by Fortunato, the foot; And the phrase “​Nemo me impune lacessit​” is Latin for “No one attacks me with impunity.” This is foreshadowing that Montresor shall get revenge on Fortunato for insulting him. While it might be subtle, it is extremely telling to the characters, what Montresor is going to do, and all reason behind it. This truly exhibits Poe’s genius in his use of foreshadowing. The use of sensory details in ​The Cask of Amontillado ​is what creates the effect that the reader can taste, touch, hear and smell everything surrounding the characters in the story. Poe uses these details to create an eerie atmosphere, as if the reader follows Montresor and Fortunato into the catacombs, witnessing the sad fate of Fortunato. The damp, dark, and intoxicating atmosphere is one that needs sensory details to truly place the reader in the setting. Poe uses this device when describing the “drops of moisture that trickle among the bones”(7) as the friends make their way deeper into the catacombs. These details are in no way necessary to the plot of the story, but they add to the story as a whole, making the experience of reading it a more intimate one. Poe uses these details many times when describing his final encounter with Fortunato, before he leaves him to rot. Poe mainly emphasizes the panic in the situation, the terror that Fortunato feels, but without revealing his inner thoughts. When Montresor begins to wall Fortunato in the catacombs, he can hear the “low moaning cry from the depth of the recess” followed by “a long and obstinate silence” and “furious vibrations of the chan”(9). Sensory details is used for physical sensation when

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Montresor is slowly walling Fortunato into the catacombs and “there came from out the niche a low laugh that erected the hairs upon my head,”(10).Everything that Poe says could have been put into simpler terms. For example, instead of “low moaning cry,” he could ​ have said “wail.” Instead of saying “furious vibrations of the chain,” he ​could h ​ ave said “rattle of chains.” When Montresor states that the laugh “erected the hairs upon his head,” a less impactful way of saying it would have been “the laugh scared me.” There is a significant difference in what effect the two quotes give. One gives you an experience, the other a description. The Cask of Amontillado​ illustrates Poe’s exemplary use of euphemism, foreshadowing, and sensory details. While he has relatively straight-forward and short stories, he wastes no time in creating an atmosphere the reader can be a part of, as well as characters that the reader can understand, fear, and in some cases relate to. His portrayal of a criminal is almost alarmingly realistic, with a lack of consciousness or emotion. While Poe’s vocabulary is not easily understood by everyone, his tone of writing communicates pictures, feeling, and emotion vividly. With his unique tone of writing, Poe can entertain, unnerve, and strike fear into the hearts of the reader.

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Works Cited Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Cask of Amontillado.” Elegant Ebooks, public domain. Web.