“The Cask of Amontillado” By Edgar Allen Poe
“The Cask of Amontillado” was written by Edgar Allen Poe in November of 1846 and is in the horror genre; known for its fantastical tale of revenge from Montresor cast upon Fortunato. As the reader we feel pity for the unsuspecting, naïve Fortunato. This story is a combination of deceit, revenge, drama and beloved by all those who read it. And although it is short it has an immense amount of suspense and keeps its readers engaged. It also tends to leave its readers unsure of the true reason for the murder of Fortunato and what the thousand injuries Montresor receives from Fortunato.
Much of Edgar Allen Poe’s life was tragic. Poe’s father left a year after he was born. His first tragedy was
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We are introduced to Montresor who is the main character, who is an Italian noble person. We are also introduced to Fortunato who is a wealthy Italian and a coinsure of wines. It is from the first-person point of view following Montresor as the narrator. It is Mardi gras when Montresor carries out his plan of murdering Fortunato. He Lures Fortunato to his vaults in promise of Amontillado, but what Fortunato know is that this will be his last and final taste of wine. ‘Montresor baits him by saying that some fools argue that Luchesi’s taste is as fine as Fortunato’s. The latter is hooked, and Montresor conducts him to his empty palazzo and leads him down into the family catacombs, all the while plying him with drink. Through underground corridors with piles of skeletons alternating with wine casks, Montresor leads Fortunato, whose jester’s bells jingle grotesquely in the funereal atmosphere” (Morsberger, Robert E).
Theme/Plot/ The crime Montresor committed:
As we follow Montresor and Fortunato through Montresor's family catacombs, he pretends to be concerned about Fortunato, who has is coughing, and convinced him that if he drank more wine, he would feel better.
“‘We will go back; you will go back; you will be ill and I cannot be responsible. Besides, there is
At the beginning of the story the narrator chooses the setting of Carnival. When one thinks of the carnival, the thought of joyful people, celebration and social interaction comes to mind. No one would have thought that that was the precise moment for Montresor to take revenge. The name of Fortunato itself is ironic, because the name of Fortunato means fortune in Italy. When Montresor reveals the audience that he “had fettered [Fortunato] to the granite”, the scene sends chills throughout the reader’s body (Poe 471).
As the story progresses it becomes exceptionally evident the role external conflict plays in creating Montresor’s character. To begin, Montresor mentions “the thousand injuries of Fortunato” and the revenge he is determined to get from the most recent injury, an insult (Poe 543). By Montresor choosing to open the story with remarks about Fortunato’s wrong doings towards him, it’s clear that he holds a grudge. These conflicts between the two men throughout their friendship have had such an impression on Montresor that it’s over taken him – it’s all he can think about; thus, he immediately mentions these conflicts at the beginning of the story. In result, Montresor as a character appears quite hostile and as a narrator appears unreliable.
The setting of the helps to reveal the corruption of Montressor because it helps establish the dark, sinister, atmosphere of the story. The story fits this outlook by beginning around dusk, one evening during the carnival season in an unnamed European city. The location quickly changes from the lighthearted activities associated with such a festival to the damp, dark catacombs under Montresor's palazzo. According to the “Cask of amontillado” Montresor states that “my heart grew sick, on account of the catacombs” by him stating that it shows how guilty he is.
Cooper Bush Ms. Glatz English 9B-5 11 January 2023 The Foreboding Mood of “The Cask of Amontillado” Edgar Allan Poe, famous for his poetry and short stories in the 1800s has become synonymous with the moody, eerie, ominous tone common in his writing. One of his iconic short stories, “The Cask of Amontillado,” is no stranger to this iconic dark tone. In “The Cask of Amontillado,” by Edgar Allan Poe, the author uses setting, diction, and dramatic irony to enhance the story’s foreboding mood. Edgar Allan Poe uses setting to enhance the foreboding mood in “The Cask of Amontillado.”
This staggering short story is based around the character Montresor who has a strong desire to eliminate the one who has teased him for so long, Fortunato. In this short story Poe takes the reader through the evil, sick mind of Montresor as he executes his plan to kill Fortunato. The method in which he achieves this is what catches the reader's attention, for Montresor uses Fortunato’s love of wine to earn false trust in his heart. Slowly but surely Montresor leads Fortunato down into the casks below promising a bottle of Amontillado, a very rare wine, at the end. The story, instead takes a quick turn, when Montresor chains Fortunato to the walls and slowly builds a wall of bricks around him.
Montresor asks Fortunato to use his expert wine test tasting skills to tell if a bottle of wine is authentic or not. Since Fortunato is an arrogant person, he does not suspect or have any suspicion to his ‘friends’ request. Once Montresor and Fortunato make their way down deep into the catacombs, Montresor tricks Fortunato into a corner. Then, Montresor handcuffs Fortunato to the wall. Fortunato is fasten to the wall with no escape.
Next, Montresor replies, “It is this, I answered, producing from beneath the folds of my roquelaire trowel.” (239). Although Fortunato does not understand that Montresor has lured him into the catacombs of his home with the intentions of murdering him, but the reader knows
At the carnival he informs Fortunato that he has a pipe of Amontillado, and he has his doubts. Then, using reverse psychology, he says he can see that Fortunato is engaged in something, and he will turn to Luchresi for connoisseur services. This makes Fortunato’s desire to taste the wine even deeper. Fortunato refuses and insists he taste the wine, completing step one in Montresor’s master plan. Then Montresor manipulates him a second time, says it’s not the engagement, but the severe cold Fortunato has.
He got Fortunato drunk, (Montresor states this when he says "Drink," I said, presenting him the wine”), then lured him into the catacombs to where he was going to trap him, leaving him there to starve. In conclusion, Montresor should be sentenced to death because he committed a severe crime that hurt a family and friends. There is no other ruly way to punish him rather than killing him. He should receive capital punishment and he should not be allowed to live, because then there is no for sure way to tell if he will murder another person or
Montresor targets Fortunato for insulting him and strategically plans out how to murder him. Montresor uses Fortunato’s interest in wine to lure him into his murder. Montresor explains that he has an Amontillado that he needs someone to taste and Fortunato is determined to try it. On their way to the vault, Montresor keeps giving Fortunato wine so he won’t be sober. Suddenly, they enter a room where one of the walls is exposed.
In “The Cask of Amontillado”, Edgar Allan Poe displays the theme of revenge and manipulation. The narrator Montresor pledges revenge on Fortunato for an insult that is never explained. He maintains an appearance of goodwill towards Fortunato and decides to make use of Fortunato's weakness for fine wines against him. During the carnival season, the narrator approaches Fortunato, telling him that he has come across something that could pass for Amontillado a rare and expensive wine. Fortunato being excited about the news insists on accompanying Montresor to the vaults to determine whether it is Amontillado or not.
In the beginning of the story the author's choice of words in the descriptions makes the reader feel angry. Montresor tried to ignore Fortunato and his insults, but they were
Fortunato is a fun loving character who is able to live life almost carefreely. However, Fortunato is also full of ignorance in regards to his current position with Montresor, especially when he is drunk. Due to his persistent ignorance and pride, Fortunato fails to see any danger or harm that he faces; instead, he only sees the hope of tasting a rare wine despite the obvious signs to the contrary. He misses his chances to turn back and his chances to escape, instead, Fortunato invests himself fully in the venture. By the time he realizes his ignorance, Fortunato finds himself chained to a wall while another one is being built in front of him.
"The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe is a gripping and macabre short story that explores the themes of revenge, deception, the destructive nature of pride, and their relevance to us in the present day. While the story was written in the 19th century, its themes continue to resonate with contemporary audiences, highlighting the timeless nature of human emotions and their consequences. One theme that remains particularly relevant today is the theme of revenge. Montresor's relentless pursuit of vengeance against Fortunato raises questions about the limits of revenge and the morality of taking justice into one's own hands. As Montresor states, "The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge" (Poe, 1846).
During the story, the narrator, Montresor, consistently gets put down by his friend Fortunato, who mocked the narrator’s family name. Montresor, being very proud of his family name felt