In “The Cask of Amontillado,” Poe uses verbal irony throughout the text to build suspense and add a touch of dark humor, as seen in the examples below.
The main character, Montresor, makes a toast to Fortunato’s good health, saying, “I drink to your long life.” However, the reader knows that he intends to kill him.
When Fortunato has a coughing fit because of the dampness in the catacombs, Montresor pretends he is concerned, stating, “We will go back. Your health is precious.” In reality, Montresor brought Fortunato to the catacombs to murder him, so this phrase is highly ironic.
When Fortunato asks Montresor if he is a mason, he means a Freemason. Montresor’s answer is “yes.” However, Montresor means that he is a craftsman, since he will be entombing Fortunato in stone.