everything there is to know about edgar allan poe

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Everything There is To Know About...

Edgar Allan Poe


Timeline of Life

Edgar Allan Poe is known for his contribution to gothic literature. He is often credited as the

inventor of the modern detective story, inspiring stories such as Sherlock Holmes. He

particularly focuses on the psychological elements of his characters. His stories were written

during the Victorian period. His life was filled with tragedy, including death and poverty.

1809 – 19 January - Born in Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America

1810 – Parents separate, stays with mother

1811 – Mother dies. Adopted by Mr and Mrs John Allan

1815 – Napoleon defeated at Waterloo. Poe goes to school in England

1820 – Poe continues schooling in USA

1823 – Poe attends the Academy of William Burke. He succeeds in athletics.

1825 – John Allan inherits a fortune from his uncle

1826 – Poe attends the University of Virginia

1827 – Drops out of school because John Allan won’t give him any money. His first collection

of poems is published. Joins the US Army and does well.

1829 – Mrs Allan dies and Poe returns home. Temporary reconciliation with John Allan. Mr

Allan sponsors him to study at West Point

1831 – Get deliberately kicked out of West Point

1832 – Submits stories to many magazines, but all are rejected.

1834 – John Allan dies, leaving nothing to Poe

1835 – Poe wins a competition for “The Manuscript Found in a Bottle” and gets a job

1836 – Marries his cousin Virginia, who is 13 years old

1839 – The Fall of the House of Usher is published. Also publishes “Tales of the Grotesque

and Arabesque” but receives no money from the publisher.

1843 – Wins a $100 prize for “The Golden Bug”

1845 – The Black Cat is published. Poe cannot make a living. Publishes “The Raven”

1846 – The Cask of Amontillado is published. Sues a paper for libel and wins $225

1847 – Wife dies of tuberculosis

1849 – Tries to stop drinking problem. Dies on October 7.

1850 – The Tell-Tale Heart is published.


Romantic Literature

Romantic literature focuses on inspiring trepidation, horror, terror and awe in readers. It

will often involve things like untamed nature, exotic and unfamiliar things. Much of it is very

macabre, that is: ghastly, shocking, horrific and grim.

Within this is the gothic genre, which involves elements such as gloom, mystery, the

grotesque. It combines horror and romance to give readers an almost “pleasant” terror. It

focuses on extreme emotion. Gothic literature became popular in the 1800’s.

The gothic elements include:

Death

Decay

Doppelganger

Madness

Supernatural

Haunted houses

Castles

Darkness

Ghosts

Secrets

Hereditary curses

The gothic characters include:

Tyrants

Villains

Maniacs

Bandits

Byronic heroes

Persecuted maidens

Femme fatale

Monk

Nun

Madwoman

Vampire

Magician

Werewolves

Monster

The Byronic Hero

The main characteristics of a Byronic hero are that they reject society and are

rejected by society. In addition, they see themselves at the centre of their own

existence. They are:

Arrogant

Intelligent

Perceptive

Cunning

Suffering from an

unnamed crime

Troubled past

Struggles with

integrity

Sophisticated and

educated

Self-critical and

introspective

Mysterious

Magnetic

Charismatic

Exile or outcast

Self-destructive

behaviour

Emotional conflicts

- Bipolar tendencies

- Moodiness

Social and sexual dominance

Power of seduction and sexual attraction

Distaste for social institutions and norms

Disrespect of rank and privilege


Things to Consider When Analysing a Short Story

Plot

o How does it help achieve the author’s purpose?

Suspense

Irony

Coincidence

Flashbacks

Chronological sequence

Point of View

o Narration

Reliability

Objective or Subjective

Third or first person

Omniscience

Character

o Major or minor

o Static or dynamic

o Round or flat character

o Protagonist or antagonist

o Dialogue and actions

Setting

o Location

o Time

o Political

o Social

o Philosophical

o Moral

o Economic

Themes and Ideas

o Link to the title

o Motifs and symbols

o Allusions


Author’s Techniques

Technique Definition Example Sentence Structure The grammatical

arrangement of words in a sentence

Consider: - Sentence length - Adjectives - Em dashes - Syntax

Em Dashes A pause in the reading of a sentence, showing a break in the flow of thought or speech. Suggests chaotic, disjointed thinking, insanity, unreliability of narrator

Tell-Tale Heart “TRUE!--nervous--very, very dreadfully nervous” Fall of the House of Usher “Not hear it?--yes, I hear it, and have heard it. Long--long--long--many minutes...” Black Cat “When I first beheld this apparition--for I could scarcely regard it as less--my wonder and my terror were extreme” Cask of Amontillado “He had a weak point--this Fortunato--although in other...”

Exclamation Marks “!” show heightened emotion

Tell-Tale Heart - “Oh God! What could I do? I foamed -- I raved -- I swore!... It grew louder -- louder -- louder!” Fall of the House of Usher - “Surely, man had had never before been so terribly altered, in so brief a period, as had Roderick Usher!” Black Cat Cask of Amontillado - “The nitre!” - “The Amontillado!”

High Emotion in the Protagonist

When the protagonist expresses extreme emotional reactions. Suggests unreliable narrator and possible insanity.

Tell-Tale Heart - “Sagacity” and “acute” Black Cat - Response to the wife’s comment about the cat being a witch Cask of Amontillado - Easily provoked by the “thousand injuries of Fortunato”

Mysterious/suspenseful An overall mood or Tell-Tale Heart


atmosphere dominant tone of uncertainty, apprehension and tension.

- Suspense of whether the narrator would commit the murder, hten being caught Fall of the House of Usher - Mystery of disease - Suspense as sounds of Madeleine are heard Black Cat - Mystery of the reappearance of a cat Cask of Amontillado - Suspense as Montresor leads Fortunato further into the catacombs, his impending murder

Woman threatened by powerful male

An apparently weaker woman is dominated by a male

Black Cat - Wife is dominated by narrator, submissive and accepting

Supernatural/ inexplicable events

Events that are not subject to natural laws or do not exist in nature. They have no apparent cause.

Black Cat - Outline of cat on wall - Reappearance of new cat Fall of the House of Usher - House falling into the tarn - Sound before the appearance of Madeline - Mysterious disease Tell-Tale Heart - Sound of heart beat

Metonymy of gloom and horror

A type of metaphor when something closely associated with the subject is substituted for it.

Tell-Tale Heart - Sound - Darkness (night) Fall of the House of Usher - Weather - clouds, darkness - House - dark, claustrophobic Black Cat - Fire Cask of Amontillado - Nitre - Catacomb - bones, death

Vocabulary of the gothic

Using words that reflect gothic literature

Tell-Tale Heart - Midnight - Blackness Fall of the House of Usher - Dull, dark - Oppressively - Dreary - Desolate


Black Cat - Evil - Monks of the middle ages - Witch Cask of Amontillado - Catacombs - Skeletons

Metaphor A comparison between two unlike things without using the words “like” or “as.” It asserts the identity of dissimilar things. Two seemingly unlike things are linked in the form of implicit comparison to suggest some kind of identity. Creates dramatic effect.

Tell-Tale Heart - “the hellish tattoo of the heart increased” - “stone dead” Fall of the House of Usher - “The Haunted Palace” Cask of Amontillado - “the white web-work which gleams...” actually referring to nitre, not spiderwebs. - “the wine sparkled in his eyes”

Simile An explicit comparison between two things using the words “like,” “as,” “appears,” “than” or “seems.” The differences between the two things add to the effect of the simile.

Tell-Tale Heart - “a single dim ray, like the thread of the spider” - “black as pitch” - “I had directed the ray as if by instinct” - “It increased my fury as the beating of a drum stimulates the soldier into courage” - “sound as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton” Fall of the House of Usher - “eye-like windows”

Symbolism When a person, object, image, word or event is used to evoke a range of additional meaning beyond its literal significance and suggests something greater than itself.

Tell-Tale Heart - Heart - guilt Black Cat - Cat - Guilt

Personification A form of metaphor in which human characteristics are attributed to non-human things. Familiar human behaviours and emotions are assigned

Tell-Tale Heart - Evil Eye - Death Black Cat - Horror - Fiend Intemperance - Death


to animals, inanimate objects and abstract ideas.

- Rest Fall of the House of Usher - “eye-like windows” of the house - “ponderous and ebony jaws” of the doors

Diction Specific choices in words or phrases; often figurative language. It is appropriate to analyse diction when you can discuss the connotations of particular word choices.

Fall of the House of Usher - Narrator has complex diction

Register The language used in a particular setting - formal, informal, colloquial, vulgar. Determined by diction.

Cask of Amontillado - Spoken register, mainly dialogue

Reliability of narrator How much the narration can be trusted - the subjective view of the narrator may be inaccurate due to youth, insanity or misunderstanding of events.

Tell-Tale Heart - Questionably sane narrator - lack of explanation for the hatred for the man - irrational hatred of his eye. Black Cat - Unreasonable hatred of cat - Drinking, impaired thinking - Contradictory behaviours “I loved animals”... then he starts beating them and killing them. Fall of the House of Usher - Reliable narrator - calm narration - Note that he still dismisses things that he cannot explain Cask of Amontillado - Unreliable narrator

Foreshadowing When an event later in the text is hinted, suggested, or showed to the readers or audience. The hints often appear coincidental, but set the tone. The author hints about future plot developments.

Cask of Amontillado - “I will not die of a cough” - foreshadowing Fortunato’s murder. - The trowel foreshadows that he would be walled up Black Cat - Noose on cat’s neck: narrator’s punishment

Rhetorical questions A question asked for effect, not designed to elicit a response.

Tell-Tale Heart - “for what had I now to fear?” - “Why would they not be gone?”


Appeal to the readers. Black Cat - Who has not, a hundred times,

found himself committing a vile or a

silly action, for no other reason than

because he knows he should not?

Allusion A brief reference to a person, place, thing, event or idea from literature to enrich the author’s work. It implies reading and cultural experiences in the reader. Provides an emotional and intellectual context.

Fall of the House of Usher - The books they read - gothic and romantic literature, adding to gothic tone Black Cat - Name Pluto - Roman god of the underworld: death, fire, losing his soul

Concise plot The entire plot takes place over a short period of time, and can be read in one sitting.

Flashbacks - usually on the events of one or two days (except Black Cat, which goes over a number of years, but only focusing on specific events, and all recounted on a single day)

Frequent changes in tone

When the tone changes at a number of intervals throughout the story

Tell-Tale Heart - Change in tone after he sits down with the police and begins to hear the beating of the heart > Goes from proud and calm to guilty and panicked. Black Cat - Change in tone after he begins drinking

Paragraph length/ structure

The length of the paragraph, such as how many sentences they contain.

Tell-Tale Heart - Long paragraph from “No doubt I now grew very pale...” to “louder! louder! louder! louder!” to keep building tension - no break so that the climax can be reached.

Narration The voice of the person telling the story. An unreliable narrator provides an interpretation of the events that is somehow different from the interpretation of the author, usually as the result of young age, inexperience, or

Tell-Tale Heart - Unreliable narrator - First person Fall of the House of Usher - Seemingly reliable narrator, but dismisses anything he cannot explain rationally. - First person Black Cat - Unreliable narrator - First person


insanity. Cask of Amontillado - Unreliable narrator - First person

Genre The category of writing i.e. romantic, gothic, horror

All the stories are gothic - Suspense - Trepidation - Horror - Fear

Binary Opposition Placing two things that are complete opposites together to contrast them

Fall of the House of Usher - Male vs. Female - Sanity vs. Madness Black Cat - Heaven and hell (fire of hell, losing his soul because of his actions) Cask of Amontillado

Suspense The build-up of events to capture the attention of the audience until the outcome is revealed

Tell-Tale Heart - Use of em dashes, exclamation marks, shorter sentences Fall of the House of Usher - Foreshadowing Black Cat Cask of Amontillado

Mystery When events are inexplicable and leaves readers questioning - adds to suspense

Tell-Tale Heart - The true cause of his hatred Fall of the House of Usher - Readers do not know the cause of Roderick’s disease Black Cat - Second cat - Pluto or supernatural reappearance? Cask of Amontillado - Unknown “crimes” of Fortunato

Imagery Descriptions that appeal to the readers senses, suggesting mental images of sights, sounds, tastes, feelings or actions. Conveys sensory impressions, emotions or moods

Black Cat - “I took form my waistcoat pocket a penknife, opened it, grasped the poor beast by the throat, and deliberately cut one of its eyes from the socket” Fall of the House of Usher - Imagery of the house “eye-like windows” “insufferable gloom” “clouds hung oppressively low” “melancholy”

Alliteration The repetition of the Tell-Tale Heart


same consonant sounds in a sequence of words, often at the beginning of the words. Emphasises key words and adds rhythm.

- “his hideous heart” Fall of the House of Usher - In the poem: “glorious, golden... float and flow... plumed and pallid.... moving musically...” - “Dull, dark and soundless day” - “deep and dank tarn”... “sullenly and silently” Black Cat - “mere man” Cask of Amontillado - “the white web-work which gleams...”

Repetition The repeated use of particular sounds, words, phrases, sentences, etc to structure a text.

Tell-Tale Heart - “Object there was none. Passion there was none” - “cautiously -- cautiously” Fall of the House of Usher - “flowing, flowing, flowing” - “I dared not” x 5

Capitalisation There are two types: 1. When words are written in completely upper case letters. Creates emphasis. Indicates anger, shouting or panic. 2. When the first letter is capitalised, and the remaining letter are written in lower case. Suggests personification of the object, giving in human qualities.

Tell-Tale Heart - Evil Eye - Death Fall of the House of Usher - “the grim phantasm, FEAR” - “MADMAN! I TELL YOU THAT SHE NOW STANDS WITHOUT THE DOOR!” - “HOUSE OF USHER” Black Cat - Horror - Fiend Intemperance - Death

Italics italics Creates emphasis on the word(s)

Tell-Tale Heart - “but why will you say that I am mad?” - “louder! louder! louder! louder!” Cask of Amontillado - “and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation”

Onomatopoeia The use of a word that resembles the sound it denotes.

Tell-Tale Heart - “groan” - “Ha! Ha!” - “the hinges creaked”


- “grated it upon the boards” Cask of Amontillado - “ugh! ugh! ugh!”

Irony A statement expressing the opposite of what is really meant, whereby the reader is expected to realise the true meaning. Uses contradictory statements. A statement which, when taken in context, can mean the opposite of what is written literally.

Tell-Tale Heart - “observe how healthily -- how calmly I can tell you the whole story” He is not at all calm. - “I was never kinder to the old man than during the whole week before I killed him” Black Cat - Wife call the cat a with in disguise, when the narrator is the evil one. Cask of Amontillado - “And I [drink] to your long life” - he was about to kill him - “A cough’s a mere nothing; it will not kill me” ... but Montresor will!

Dramatic Irony When the audience is aware of certain information that the characters are unaware of.

Readers are aware that Montresor intends to kill Fortunato, but Fortunato is not aware of it.

Hyperbole A boldly exaggerated statement that adds emphasis without intending to be literally true. Used for serious, ironic or comic effect.

Fall of the House of Usher - “Surely, man had had never before been so terribly altered, in so brief a period, as had Roderick Usher!” Black Cat - “The moodiness of my usual temper increased to hatred of all things and of all mankind” Cask of Amontillado “The thousand injuries of Fortunato...”

Anaphora The repetition of the same word(s) at the beginning of adjacent lines, sentences or stanzas. Used in moments of high emotion.

Tell-Tale Heart - “He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult” - “with what caution -- with what foresight -- with what dissimulation I went to work” Fall of the House of Usher - “... upon the scene before me -- upon the mere house... upon the bleak walls -- upon the vacant eye-like windows -- upon a few rank sedges -- and upon a few white trunks...”


The Tell-Tale Heart

Published in 1850

Published posthumously - after Poe died.

The Narrator: He claims to be sane, although readers are led to view him as an unreliable

narrator, and possibly a madman. He attempts to prove his sanity by recounting his logical

plan. The narrator is the murder, recounting it in first person. The story is an exploration of

the psyche of the narrator and his paranoia.

The Victim: A rich man (note that the narrator says that he did not desire his gold). He was

not arrogant as he had done nothing to wrong the narrator. We assume he was old because

he required the narrator’s assistance during the late hours of the day.

Upon the eighth night I was more than usually cautious in opening the door. A watch's

minute hand moves more quickly than did mine.

Emphasises the extreme caution that he took. Shows his actions to be unnatural by likening

himself to the watches hand (simile) - unnatural.

The story takes place over 8 days in the victim’s house. It is an extended flashback.

Most of the recount involves events that took place at night.

Note the importance of narrative voice, or the point of view of the narrator, in

developing the plot and adding to the tension

Personification of the “Evil Eye” and “Death”

As the sentence structure becomes more fragmented, readers are invited to see the

narrator’s growing fear and desperation.

Tone is sinister - seemingly calm, but the panic of the narrator builds

The contrast between the agitation of the narrator and the calm of the Police Officers

shows that the narrator is insane or that there are supernatural events - both

circumstances, regardless of which the readers believe, create tension.


External conflict between the victim and murderer, seen through the use of physical force

to commit the murder.

Internal Conflict

Narrator trying to convince himself of his own sanity

Indecision and hesitation over murdering the victim

Hallucinations of the heart

Paranoia

Rhetorical questions: the narrator is inviting readers to agree with his “infallible” logic,

however this actually leads them to question him further as gaps in his reasoning appear

(i.e. what exactly did the victim do to provoke him?). The narrator does not intend for the

readers to respond to the questions, but they still consider them anyway.

Simile: “a single dim ray, like the thread of the spider”

Metaphor: “the vulture eye”

Imagery of sound

“groan of mortal terror”

Poe creates tension using:

Events in the plot

Sentence length

Punctuation

Repetition

Metaphor

Simile

Use of strong verbs and adjectives

Juxtaposition and contrast

Offering Fortunato the drink - an act of false kindness. It is odd that Fortunato, a

connoisseur of wines, would not savour the drink. Suggests alcoholism.


When Montresor says he is of the Freemasons, he is actually referring to the masonry he

will perform on Fortunato.

Taking Fortunato by the arm represents the Angel of Death taking him.

Irony:

"I drink," he said, "to the buried that repose around us." - He will soon join them

“And I to your long life” - He is about to kill Fortunato.

Offering him De Grave wine - the drunkenness would lead to his grave.

Word Definition

Acute Characterised by sharpness or severity

Sensitive physical or intellectual perception

Death Watches A type of small beetle that is common in old houses. Found in the

woodwork and make tapping noises as a mating call.

Derision The use of ridicule or scorn to show contempt

Dissemble Hide under a false appearance

Dissimulation Hiding under a false appearance

Gesticulations A motion of the body or limbs in speaking, or in representing action

or passion, and enforcing arguments or sentiments


Hypocritical Saying one thing but acting or thinking in a contradictory manner

Sagacity Shrewdness; Having keen perception of the senses

Suavity Being smooth though often superficially gracious and sophisticated

Black Cat

Published in 1845

Focus on the psyche of the narrator.

The introduction is slow and long, aiming to appeal readers and convince them of his sanity.

He uses rhetorical questions:

Who has not, a hundred times, found himself committing a vile or a silly action, for

no other reason than because he knows he should not?

The nameless narrator is about to be hung for crimes. Story is a flashback of events over a

period of a few years. He blames supernatural events for his behaviour, and claims to be

completely sane. However, he is an unreliable narrator. The story is in first person, told

from his demented point of view.

- Since the narrator is nameless, he can represent anyone who has ever acted

impulsively, showing that punishment for such crimes is inevitable, warning against

the dangers of alcohol and lack of moderation

Themes:

- A ‘perverse side’ to everyone that can cause evil actions

- Ill effects of excessive drinking

- A weak psyche is weak to the power of suggestion

o The wife’s joke that the cat was a witch in disguise

- All perverse actions have consequences

o Burning the house down

o The cat drawing the attention of the police

- Fear of discovery leads to discovery

o Leads to strange behaviour


Movement and Sounds:

Em dashes create a pause in the flow of reading, showing the unreliability of the

narrator as the story is not considered

Alliteration puts emphasis on key words and phrases

Anaphora creates a list of ideas

Italics and exclamation marks place emphasis and show heightened emotion in the

protagonist

Paradox: “For the most wild, yet most homely narrative”

Opposition: animals are innocent and pure, humans are evil and impure

Significance of the name of the cat, Pluto - Roman God of the underworld. Foreshadows

death and immoral actions. Cat symbolises the death of the narrator.

Change in tone after he begins drinking

Gothic Elements:

Damsel in distress

o Wife is powerless against her insane husband

High emotion in the protagonist

o Extreme responses to events, such as the comment about the cat being a

witch in disguise

o Exclamation marks

Suspense

o Change in tone after he begins drinking and beating the animals and wife

o Narrator’s strange behaviour when the police arrive

Drug use

o Alcohol

Supernatural

o Appearance of the outline of the gigantic cat on the wall

o Arrival of the second cat - a reincarnation? ‘Fantastic’

o Retribution brought about by the cat.


Metonymy

o Fire: hell

There is a change of tone in the story once the narrator admits his excessive drinking “I

grew, day by day, more moody, more irritable, more regardless of the feelings of others.”

The hanging of Pluto foreshadows the imminent hanging of the narrator. Also by the outline

of the cat on the wall after the fire and the noose on the neck of the second cat.

Irony in the fact that after the cat’s eye is cut out, it can figuratively see better, realising that

the narrator is cruel, unpredictable and dangerous.

Wife’s superstition of the cat being a witch: irony because the narrator is the evil,

not the evil

The narrator begins to blame the cat for his actions.

- Hyperbole - “incumbent eternally upon my heart!”

Burying the wife in the cellar - link to Cask of Amontillado

He describes the murder as an accident, trying to downplay it and cause readers to

discard it.

o “buried the axe in her brain”

However, the shock of the murder makes it significant to the readers,

having the reverse effect from what the narrator intended.

Continues to try and show himself to be sane with the manner he hid his wife

o “entire deliberation”

Imagery:

Walling up the wife - feeling of claustrophobia

Meticulous clean-up - link to Tell-Tale Heart

“Eye of fire”

o Connotations of hell’s fire

Fire

o Destruction of soul after evil deed of murdering the cat


He blames anything but himself (alcohol, animals, cat, wife), further showing his

unreliability. Despite his efforts, the narrator cannot convince the readers that he is sane.

o “Many projects entered my mind” - suggests that they did not originate from

him, but some other external source.

o The torture of the cat shows that he has destroyed his own life

He knows that his mind is deteriorating, but he will not stop it or accept responsibility

for it.

He acts overconfident when the police arrive.

The religious allusions show the battle for his soul, and that his actions lead him to hell.

Black Cat Tell-Tale Heart

Narrator is haunted by his deviant actions

- - - Narrator is self-congratulatory

Narrator is facing execution for his crimes - - -

- - - The text continuously builds tension until its

climax

The events of the story that are narrated

cover several years

The events of the story that are narrated

cover several days

The story explores the consequences of allowing the ‘imp of the perverse’ to gain control

Narrator blames alcohol for his actions - - -

The narrator is unreliable and questionably sane

The eye is a significant symbol in the story

- - - It is unclear whether the narrator’s guilt has

led to his downfall, or whether a

supernatural event has taken place

The cruelty of the narrator is emphasised - - -

Anaphora is used to build tension in the text

- - - Poe has used light and darkness to control

the focus of the story

The story has moments of dark humour - - -

- - - The narrator claims to suffer from an illness that makes the senses more acute

There is something morally satisfying about the story’s ending, as the narrator gets caught for their actions

The text has more than one phase in the build-up of tension

- - -

The narrator’s motives for committing his crimes are unclear

- - - Poe uses silence and stillness to build tension


Word Definition

Anomalous Deviating from the general or common order or type

Conflagration A very intense, destructive and uncontrolled fire

Evinced Evidence in its broadest sense includes everything that is used to determine or demonstrate the truth of an assertion

Equivocal Uncertain, undecided. Subject to two or more interpretations and

usually used to mislead or confuse.

Expedient A method for achieving something, often without consideration of

others or the consequences

Felicity Pleasing and appropriate manner or style

Gossamer Something light, delicate or insubstantial. i.e. a cobweb

Intemperance Habitual or excessive consumption of alcohol. Lack of moderation in

general.

Pertinacity Persistent determination, stubborn, resolute

Phantasm Illusion, ghost, product of fantasy, a mental representation of a real

object

Pluto The Roman God of the underworld

Sagacious Having or showing keen discernment, sound judgement, and far-

sightedness. Shrewd.

Tinctured Affected. Infused or instilled with an idea or property.

The Cask of Amontillado

Published in 1846

Theme: Revenge

Link to Black Cat - burying alive

Purpose: to entertain and create suspense for readers; thrill

Investigation of revenge

o Tone of revenge

Subjective viewpoint - unreliable narrator adds to suspense

Acts as a warning against alcohol and arrogance, shows that Fortunato possessed

these characteristics, which caused his demise

Emotion: Suspense, horror

Imagery:

“Thousand injuries” - hyperbole


References to bones in catacombs - underworld

“Web of nitre” - Connotations of spiderweb: catching, attack, prey

“Black mask” - connotations of the colour: dark, evil, sinister, death

The carnival - suggest lack of social order.

o Sounds of Fortunato’s bells add to the carnival atmosphere, ironic

considering he is walking to his death

Structure: Mainly dialogue

Foreshadowing:

Reference to stonemasons: burying with bricks and mortar

Coat of arms: indicates revenge

Language:

Irony of the name “Fortunato” - wasn’t so fortunate, was he?

Prodigious vocabulary (lots of weird and complicated words)

Foreign words: Family coat of arms

Mood:

Jingling bells - the mood of Fortunato vs. the silence of the catacombs

o Opposition: life and death

RIP at the end

Irony: i.e. “I will not die of a cough” - he will be buried alive. “Fortunato” - ironic

name. “You are luckily met” - He is actually unlucky

Sounds:

Silence of the catacombs - shows awareness

Jingling of the bells - irony

Lack of reply from Fortunato - defiance to Montresor, not allowing him to have the

final victory

Montresor

An unreliable narrator, as he is insane. Seemed to have been a nobleman who lost his rank

and much of his fortune. He is recounting the tale 50 years later.

No reason for his dislike of Fortunato

o Vague reference to “thousand injuries” - hyperbole

Actions (luring Fortunato in to be murdered)


However, he is highly intelligent. The murder was intricately planned and never discovered

until his death. He maintains natural and normal behaviour. He is an unsympathetic

character - we cannot relate to him. He appears to be bragging of his crimes, yet at the

same time has some guilt. He values his reputation and is vain and proud. He is cruel, taking

pleasure in the pain of others. We know that the murder was premeditated because he

made sure there were no servants in the house.

Fortunato

He is addicted to alcohol, arriving drunk and persistently seeking to have some Amontillado.

Readers see that he is insensitive as he does not notice Montresor’s anger at him. He is very

proud, refusing to be compared to Luchesi. He is too trusting, and does not recognise the

signs of danger.

Montresor shows false concern towards Fortunato to maintain the facade of care

o “How long have you had that cough?”

Montresor mocks Fortunato by repeating the things he says:

o “Let us be gone.” “Yes, let us be gone” “For the love of God, Montresor!”

“Yes, for the love of God!”

Fortunato’s silence at the end of the story shows his defiance, and also the

realisation of what had happened.

Word Definition

Amontillado A dry sherry known for its delicate bouquet

Aperture An opening or hole

Flambeaux A flaming torch

Gemmary The scientific knowledge of gems

Gesticulations A motion of the body or limbs in speaking, or in representing action

or passion, and enforcing arguments and sentiments

Immolation Killing or offering as a sacrifice, to destroy, especially by fire

Impunity Exemption from punishment or loss

In pace requiescat Translated: “rest in peace”

Masons

(Freemasons)

A worldwide fraternal organisation where members are joined

together by shared ideals of both a moral and a metaphysical nature.

They have a number of “secret handshakes” and other ways to


recognise each other

Nemo me impune

lacessit

Translated: No one provokes me with impunity

Found on the Scottish coat of arms

Nitre A clear or white mineral crystal of potassium nitrate, that grows on

cavern walls

Pipe of Large barrel or cask

Rheum A watery discharge from the mucous membranes of the eyes or nose

Roquelaire A knee-length cloak

Virtuoso Someone who is very gifted in a particular field, excellent, a master

Wont A habit or established custom, something they are accustomed to

Wore Motley To wear the costume of a “motley fool” or a court jester. A

multicoloured outfit and a funny hat with bells hanging from it.

The Fall of the House of Usher

Published in 1839

Purpose: Explore the supernatural

o Art just for art’s sake?

o Oppression of the mind from inability to explain events

o Explores the human psyche and the senses

Tone: Claustrophobic imagery

Atmosphere: Dread (foreshadowing contributes to this) “with the first glimpse of the

building, a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit.”

Gothic Story:

- Frightening house

- Desolate landscape

- Mysterious illness

- Stormy weather

- Troubled characters


Title: The “house” of Usher can refer to the family or the actual house - emphasis on

duality.

o “Fall” foreshadows the death of both the family and the house

Name “Usher” - means someone who leads someone in.

o Narrator into the house, Madeleine into the tomb and then into the room.

Epigraph - Introduces ideas of heightened senses, fragility and being easily affected.

Setting - Ambiguous

Atmosphere - Terror, mystery, fear

Duality - Two aspects of one personality. The connected things die when brought

together: Doppelganger.

o House-tarn - the reflection

o Brother-sister

Roderick Usher’s sister represents a negative part of himself

o Family-house - they all suffer the same fate

Story comes full circle: narrator outside looking at the house, goes inside, then ends

outside looking at the house.

Reliable narrator - however, he still dismisses things that cannot be explained using

logic. His diction is more complex. The story is written as a stream of consciousness.

First person engages the reader.

o Also possible to interpret him as unreliable - a madman who imagines the

whole thing - but in the text he is presented as the voice of reason in the

story. It is ambiguous.

Contrast and juxtaposition between the Roderick and the narrator - irrational vs.

rational

Elements of the supernatural - Roderick’s mysterious disease

o Has the appearance of the walking dead

The Narrator

Clings to reality, uses logic to explain everything, dismissing anything he cannot explain. He

is at odds with Usher, who is isolated from the world and takes pleasure in visionary

abstractions.


Roderick Usher

Byronic hero - he has no virtue, but is larger than life, sensitive, intellectual and exiled from

society.

Madeleine Usher

Over-sensitive. Relates to Poe’s exploration of the human psyche. Seen as the stronger twin

as she has greater will to live, whilst Roderick was weak. Doppelganger.

Gothic elements: entombment, deranged character

The house has a threatening appearance, reflects that the family did not welcome

the blood of others.

Em dashes - used to show that the story is written from the narrator’s thoughts

(breaks for thinking). Shows the tone of fear.

Gothic Imagery

o Drug use

o Supernatural - illness.

o Light and dark

Reference back to the epigraph as they begin playing music and observing Usher’s

passions for the arts. Sensitivity to elements due to “illness”

Fissure in the house foreshadows its fall into the tarn, shows instability in the

household

Crumbling of the stones whilst maintaining the outside structure - symbolic of

Roderick’s deterioration

Binary Opposition:

o Madness vs. Sanity

o Male vs. Female

The poem “The Haunted Palace”

- Reference to the supernatural

- Poem foreshadows their deaths.

The prose “The Mad Trist”

- Story within a story


- Reference to insanity

- Reflects the actions and sounds of the actual story

The Books They Read

References to romantic and gothic literature, contributing to the gothic tone of the story.

Ververt et Chartreuse

Two poems by Jean Baptiste Gresset (1709-1777), best known for "Ververt" or "Vert-Vert".

The poem is about a parrot, owned by a convent of nuns, that mistakenly learns swear

words.

Belphegor of Machiavelli

Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527) wrote Belphegor, a satire on marriage in which a demon

comes to earth to prove that women damn men to hell.

Swedenborg

Emmanual Swedenborg was Swedish mystic and philosopher. He published works the

mystery of soul-body interaction during the early 1740s.

Nicholas Klimm

Baron Ludwig Holberg (1684-1754) wrote a story about a voyage to the land of death and

back.

Chiromancy

The art of Palm Reading

Blue Distance of Tieck

Ludwig Tieck (1773-1853) was a German writer who was part of the Romantic movement of

the 18th and early 19th centuries.

Campenella

Tommaso Campanella (1568-1639), a Dominican theologian, philosopher and poet

Directorium Inquisitorium

A manual on how to torture Catholic heretics, published in Barcelona in 1503.

Satyrs and AEgipans


Deities in Greek mythology having the torso of a man and the body of a horse or goat (2

legs). Pan was a Satyr who lived in the woods, played a flute, and was fond of unrestrained

revelry. Centaurs with the bodies of goats instead of horses.

AEgipan was a woodland god similar to Pan (though with four legs), the son of Zeus who

aided the gods in the battle of the Titans.

Vigilae Mortuorum secundum Chorum Ecclesiae Maguntinae

Book printed by the Catholic church on rituals, printed about 1500.

Word Definition

Abeyance Suspension, temporary inactivity

Acute Characterized by sharpness or severity. Sensitive physical or intellectual perception

Aghast Terrified, struck with amazement, showing signs of terror or horror.

Anomalous Deviating from the normal; aberrant or abnormal

Cadaverously Like a cadaver or a corpse

Cataleptical A condition of suspended animation and loss of voluntary motion in which the limbs remain in whatever position they are placed

Dint By force of; because of

Ennuye Bored, weary in spirits, emotionally exhausted.

Equivocal Uncertain. Undecided. Subject to two or more interpretations and usually used to mislead or confuse.

Fuseli A well known British painter (1741-1825). He favoured the supernatural, and pitched everything on an ideal scale, believing a certain amount of exaggeration necessary. He took this idea to extremes; and the violent and intemperate action which he often displays destroys the grand effect of many of his pieces

Gossamer Something light, delicate, or insubstantial

Incubus A nightmare. An oppressive thought like a nightmare. An evil spirit that has sexual intercourse with women while they are sleeping.

In sooth In truth, in reality

Pallid Pale, lacking colour

Paradoxical A paradox is a statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is perhaps true.

Pertinacity Adhering resolutely to an opinion, purpose, or design. Perversely persistent

Phantasm Illusion, ghost, a product of fantasy, a mental representation of a real object

Phantasmagoric A constantly shifting complex succession of things seen or imagined. An exhibition or display of optical effects and illusions.

Porphyrogene A Byzantine emperor's son born in the purple or porphyry room


(porphyrogenite) assigned to empresses, hence a prince born after his father's accession; a person born into the nobility

Prodigious Enormous, unusually large, causing amazement or wonder.

Reduplication An act or instance of doubling or reiterating

Sate An old spelling of "sat", past tense of "sit". "Sate" also means to indulge past the point of being merely satisfied. It implies losing interest in something because of doing it too much.

Sedges Tufted marsh plants

Sojourn Temporary stay

Sulphureous Relating to, or containing sulphur. Also relating to, or dealing with the fires of hell

Tarn Bog or marsh

Trepidation Fear, apprehension

Unruffled Poised and serene especially in the face of setbacks or confusion. Smooth

Wan Dim, faint, pallid, suggesting poor health.

Wont Habitual way of doing something

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