It is not at all surprising that so many of Edgar Allan Poe's works explore themes such as death, eyes, the power of the dead over the power of the living, punishment, human consciousness and especially death. and murder. From his disturbing and morbid short story "The Telltale Heart" to the mysteriously supernatural poem "The Raven," Poe's tales are a direct byproduct of the chaos experienced in his life, as well as his (arguably) psychologically tormented mind. Although all of this author's plays are very rich in elaborate themes, motifs and, above all, fantastically blatant irony, one particularly strikes me: "The Cask of Amontillado." This story tells how a man called Montresor seeks revenge on a “friend” who allegedly insulted him. In “The Cask of Amontillado,” the brilliant use of situational irony and macabre humor creates significant parallels between the plot and the author's strange life. From the first sentence, “The Cask of Amontillado” is absolutely saturated with emotion both verbal and dramatic. irony. In fact, even the title has an element of irony: the word "cask" (meaning "wine barrel") shares its root with "coffin", meaning "coffin" (Cummings). Therefore, it is possible that the "barrel" figuratively symbolizes Fortunado's ultimate coffin (death). Another notable ironic device used early in the story is, of course, the name "Fortunado". Although his name means "the lucky one" in Italian, Fortunado is anything but the end of the story, when he becomes the victim of Montresor's (Cummings) brutal vengeance. Poe adds to the irony of Fortunado's character by dressing him in a playful costume of a court jester. This outfit not only contrasts with the horrible fate that awaits Fortuna...... middle of paper ......d. Michael Meyer. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2009. 552.Merriman, CD “Edgar Allan Poe”. The Literary Network. April 19, 2006. Jalic, Inc., Web. March 6, 2010. Meyer, Michael, ed. Bedford's compact introduction to literature. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2009. Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Amontillado barrel.” Bedford's compact introduction to literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2009. 553-557. Swenson, Tree. “Edgar Allan Poe.” POETS. March 16, 1999. The Academy of American Poets, Web. March 6, 2010. Womack, Martha. “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe. Poe decoder. April 8, 1997. Christopher Hallqvist, Web. March 6, 2010.Wood, Kerry Michael. "Literary analysis: irony in "The Cask of Amontillado", by Edgar Allan Poe." Helium. March 9, 2009. Helium, Inc., Web. March 1 2010.