Hi, I actually just reads this story so im so happy that I can help you out with it! It is ironic because Montresor has plans for killing Fortunato later in the story.
Explanation:
Literary elements such as irony and foreshadowing help Edger Allan Poe build suspense by giving away bits of events to be occurred in a ironic way. For example, the story starts off with the narrator expressing great hatred and swearing revenge on Fortunato, whose name means fortunate, but ended up dying in the end, dressed as a clown, inferring that the narrator is making a fool out of Fortunato. This death was well foreshadowed with some of the dialogues. For instance, When Fortunato was coughing nonstop and Montresor suggested to turn back. In responses, Fortunato answered, "The cough is a mere nothing; it will not kill me. I shall not die of a cough." Ending this dialogue of Montresor saying "True-true." During this conversation you can picture Montresor replying slowly and wickedly as he grinned, oh so happily on his plans to murder Fortunate.
