Clancy Lorell Cask of Amontillado There are many elements in a story that an author uses to bring out a central theme. Edgar A. Poe is well known for using tone and setting to help develop a theme in his writings. "The Cask of Amontillado" is no exception to Mr. Poe's use of the aforementioned techniques to develop the theme of revenge. The very first line of the story gives some clue when we read "…showed first 75 words of 525 total…

…showed last 75 words of 525 total…this nature is a dark ungodly thing that Poe reaffirms in the overall tone of the story. Revenge compelled a man to take another's life, a thing he most likely would never have done in his lifetime. In anger Montresor rid himself of a man that had insulted him. He must have figured that he was making his life better, but was the rest of his life really better with a life on his hands?