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Brianna Novillo

Mrs. DiLorenzo

IB English Literature HL

11 November 2019

Paper 2- Poe Short Stories

How important is the setting of a particular time and/or place to the development of the

characters? Refer in detail to at least two novels or short stories.

Throughout literature, authors tend to open their pieces with a background of the general

era and atmosphere which is essential for setting the mood of the story. Poe accomplishes this by

juxtaposing settings and relating them to the larger motif throughout the story enhancing the

mood and message. In “Cask Of Amontillado” and “Masque Of The Red Death” Edgar Allen

Poe masterfully employs characterization and vivid imagery to demonstrate how the eerie setting

of catacombs or a national medical fright can lead to violence, showing the reader how one’s

surroundings can influence their development towards a violent persona. Poe does a more

effective job of using vivid imagery to develop the mood of the story in “Cask Of Amontillado”

because the juxtaposition of the catacombs and the carnival emphasizes the irony of Fortunato’s

fate and effectively characterizes Montressor as a vengeful individual.

In both “Cask Of Amontillado” and “Masque Of The Red Death”, Poe utilizes descriptive

diction and vivid imagery to recount the setting of both stories furthering the characterization of

Montressor and the Red Death exemplifying how these eerie atmospheres led the characters to

violence. For example, in “Masque Of The Red Death” the setting is described as very grandeur

and elaborate which is directly correlated with the Prince’s love of material objects. In addition,
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the Prince’s “castellated abbey” is described as “extensive”, “magnificent”, and with “walls of

iron” to demonstrate the overwhelming mood (Poe, “Masque Of The Red Death” 1). The setting

of the grotesque ball allows the participants to conceal their identities as an ominous mood of

deceit arises while the overindulgent setting evokes shock in the reader. The Prince is

characterized alongside the mansion as his name is Prospero because he symbolizes prosperity

and hopes to provide shelter for those in his social circle showcasing how individuals may feel

that money could allow them to escape death.

Contrastingly, the masked figure is described as “tall” and “gaunt” (Poe, “Masque Of The

Red Death” 5) emphasizing the creepy mood as suspense is built. The figure “stalked” the guest

evoking s negative, creepy, and suspenseful connotation as the guests are freaked out and

appalled by his corpse-like appearance (Poe, “Masque Of The Red Death” 5). The guests are

living carefree in the grand setting and acting oblivious to the tragedy clearly surrounding them.

The level of indulgence described throughout the mansion and in each room contributes to the

ominous mood and to the characterization of those of high social status compared to those dying

from the disease outside of the grand mansion.

In “Cask Of Amontillado”, Poe more effectively juxtaposes the dark desolate setting of

catacombs to the joyous mood of the carnival to develop the gullible character of Fortunato and

foreshadow his gruesome death. Effacciously, the reader is drawn in to see Forutnato’s eventual

fate at the hands of his good friend. For example, Montressor and Fortunato are initially in the

carnival that is described as “supreme madness” but then transition to that catacombs that had

“long walls of piled skeletons” (Poe, “Cask Of Amontillado” 1,5). The word choice of

“madness” foreshadows the murder to come and contributes to the creepy mood of such a
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cheerful place with a seemingly dark ending characteristic of Poe’s works. In addition,

Fortunato’s bells were jingling on his carnival costume, characterizing him as a gullible

individual who seemingly does not know his upcoming fate and blindly trusts Montressor. The

carnival atmosphere reinforces this as a cheery environment that signals carefree activities at the

hands of Fortunato and juxtaposes his death.

Furthermore, the catacombs are a very desolate setting with “moisture trickl(ing)” and

“moss hang(ing) upon the vaults” contributing to an eerie and mysterious mood (Poe, “Cask Of

Amontillado” 5). The catacombs “walls have been lined with human remains piled to the vault

overhead” foreshadowing Fortunato’s death (Poe, “Cask Of Amontillado” 5). This cryptic mood

builds suspense as the reader waits in suspense to see how Fortunato is going to die and the

characterization of Montressor is fully aligned with the setting as Montressor is taking advantage

of Fortunato’s drunken state and of the desolate setting of the catacombs.

In both “Cask Of Amontillado” and “Masque Of The Red Death” Poe uses irony and

character relationships to describe the falling out between two individuals and two distinct social

classes epitomizing the effect of the setting on a character’s actions in regards to others. For

example, in “Masque Of The Red Death” the vivid description of each room contributes to color

imagery and foreshadows the attempt of the Prince to save his high-class friends from a

seemingly low-class disease. The rooms are described as “seven chambers” that could represent

the seven stages of life (Poe, “Masque Of The Red Death” 5). Old age and death are inevitable;

however, Prince Prospero’s ego and selfish nature combined with the atmosphere of

extravaganza and grandeur caused him to hope to combat the Red Death due to his money and

class, oblivious to the fact that nobody can escape death.

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Moreover, the interaction between the revelers and the figure of the Red Death inside the

house contributes to the clear inclusive nature of Prince Prospero and his guests. When the

Prince first sees the masked figure he accuses him of “blasphemous mockery” (Poe, “Masque Of

The Red Death” 5). The word choice of “blasphemous” denotes an appalled tone as the Prince is

surprised at the sight of anybody invading his fortress he has provided for seclusion from

outsiders. Ironically, the Prince’s efforts to provide a site of containment for his guests as

protection from the disease failed as the Red Death was able to enter without resistance and

inevitably kill the Prince and all guests. Furthermore, the Prince’s pride was insulted at this

intruder’s actions prompting him to chase the Red Death throughout the house as the Prince was

in a rushed state due to the immense nature of the mansion.

In “Cask Of Amontillado”, Poe more effectively uses irony to foreshadow Fortunato’s

death as suspense is built and the complex relationship between Montressor and Fortunato is

more successfully explored in relation to ego and pride. For example, Montressor claims that

Fortunato has inflicted upon him a “thousand injuries” showcasing that this anger and tension

between them has been building up for a long period of time (Poe, “Cask Of Amontillado” 1).

Montressor is a cunning and manipulative individual who uses Fortunato’s gullible and trusting

nature against him; consequently, an initial tense mood describing the interactions and feelings

between the two shifts to an eerie mood with the setting of the catacombs.

Furthermore, Poe uses verbal irony when Montressor says that Fortunato is “luckily met”

as Montressor is aware of his true intentions for the carnival night (Poe, “Cask Of Amontillado”

1). The use of dramatic and situational irony by Poe can be seen when Montressor refers to

himself as a mason foreshadowing Montressor walling Fortunato in the catacombs. Fortunato’s

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name means fortune although, ironically, he is unfortunate with his murder at the hands of

Montressor, and Fortunato’s pride can also be seen as verbal irony as he continuously brushes off

his cough leading to his further entrapment in the catacombs. Fortunato’s character is clearly

exemplified as he repeats “it is nothing” to denote that his cough and drunken state will not keep

him from going to the catacombs with Montressor (Poe, “Cask Of Amontillado” 4). This prideful

nature made it very easy for Montressor to trick him and Fortunato’s ignorance in a dark,

desolate, and underground area ultimately led to his death.

In conclusion, in both “Cask Of Amontillado” and “Masque Of The Red Death” Poe

successfully uses imagery, irony, and characterization to showcase how eerie settings can cause

some characters to have a disposition towards violence, exemplifying how one’s surroundings

can have a very large effect on their actions. Poe does a more efficacious job at incorporating

characterization and irony in relation to the setting of his works in “Cask Of Amontillado”

because, the complex character relationships between Montressor and Fortunato along with the

immense foreshadowing at the hands of irony and vivid descriptive imagery keeps the reader in

suspense as to how Fortunato will meet his fate.

Word Count: 1300