Typically, a carnival masquerade is celebrated as a joyous and social release from the masses of mundane daily activities, but in "The Cask of Amontillado", by Edgar Allan Poe , the protagonist Montresor creates a different meaning to the party for his so-called friend Fortunato. Edgar Allen Poe uses a creative writing style that creates a situation at the beginning of the story. It intrigues the reader in the first line of the story when Montresor states that, “…but when he ventured with the insult I swore vengeance” (Poe Page 14). In the article “Poe's The Cask of Amontillado” by John Gruesser, he notes that “Montresor has not been so blessed, or as he claims, he once was, but has lost his status and/or his contentment. For an unfortunate person, like Montresor, Fortunato's happiness is a daily wound. Montresor thus conceives and executes an ingenious plan, which seems to succeed, to take revenge on his friend Fortune. Sealed in the coffers of the Montresor family, Fortunato is deprived of everything” (Gruesser par 3). Poe uses this style of writing by providing subtle information and imagery to draw the reader in, teasing the rest of what is to come from Montresor's revenge plan. In a seemingly harmless exchange of words between men, time begins to draw to a close for Fortunato, whose naivety and trust in Montressor merits a sad fate as some believe to be his fate. Montresor, out of pride, had become an angry individual and felt that Fortunato had caused him “a thousand injuries” (Poe 14). Overshadowed by his delusional thoughts, Montresor's deep hatred for Fortunato can be perceived as nothing more than envy or jealousy. Fortunato, a very rich man, dabbled in hobbies, such as being an av...... middle of paper ...... betrayed his trust and soon after killed him. The character of Fortunato represents a foolish man who easily gives in to temptation. Poe makes the story more interesting and complete as he arouses certain emotions in the audience that lead to sympathizing with Fortunato for Amontillado's desire and complete trust in his friend. Works Cited Clendenning, John. "Anything Goes: Comedic Aspects in 'The Cask of Amontillado.'" Short StoryCriticism. vol. 35. Ed. Anna Sheetz Nesbitt. Detroit: Gale Group, 2000. 335-341. Book.December 12, 2013Delaney, Bill. "THE BARREL OF AMONTILLADO by Poe." The Explicator 64.1 (2005): 33-5. ProQuest. Network. October 21, 2013.Gruesser, Giovanni. "Poe is the barrel of Amontillado." The Explicator” 56.3 (1998): 129-30. ProQuest. Network. December 11, 2013.Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Cask of Amontillado." Literature: a portable anthology. 2-6pm. Book.21 Oct. 2013.