Trust does not exist between you and your friend. In a gothic fiction story, The Cask of Amontillado, the author, Edgar Allan Poe, writes of Fortunato and Montresor's revenge. Montresor is compliant with Fortunato, and they both are prideful, but they both downfall into a horrific ending. The use of language by Edgar Allan Poe supports the understanding of the relationship between the two men. Despite the two men sharing common characteristics, one desires revenge. Throughout the story, Poe perfects his use of literary devices and justifies his argument that taking revenge is good by implementing mood, irony, and symbolism. .
At the beginning of the story, the mood implies to the act of revenge. The author establishes a mood of bitterness, agitation, and anger, but it leads to quietness and mystery. For instance, this can be said true when Montresor informs Fortunato of the pipe he purchased. Fortunato then insults Montresor when he tells him that the pipe was bought from the carnival. As a result, Montresor plans to take revenge, "The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge" (Poe 90). Montresor decides to deceive Fortunato in order to take revenge, for Fortunato had overburdened Montresor with not only an insult but with a "thousand injuries" in the past. The sense of bitterness and agitation from the lack of control and stress by constant insults causes an angry mood. So, Montresor tries to persuade the reader to his side by telling them that Fortunato has "ventured upon insult," and apparently crossed over the line. This is clever, but it never gives us a sense of what Fortunato has done to Montresor. Therefore, it raises the question of whether Montresor was actually insulted by Fortunato or he made it all up in his mind. Therefore, Poe starts the story with a quiet and mysterious mood. Meanwhile, Montresor does not care of Fortunato or his health, but ironically, he speaks with compassion towards Fortunato.