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The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe
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1. Has anyone ever done anything to you that made
you want to get revenge on them? What did they
do?
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2. Have you ever gotten revenge on someone for
something they did to you? What did you do to
them in return? Why did you feel a need to get
revenge?
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3. Explain how the revenge made you feel. Did you
get caught? If you had gotten caught, would that
have changed the feeling the revenge gave you?
Explain.
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catacombs

• Usually, catacombs. an underground cemetery,
  especially one consisting of tunnels and rooms
  with recesses dug out for coffins and tombs.
• an underground passageway, especially one full of
  twists and turns.

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virtuoso

• a person who has special knowledge or skill in a
  field.

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impunity

• exemption from punishment.
• immunity from detrimental effects, as of an
  action.

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fettered

• A fetter is a chain or shackle placed on the
  feet.
• Usually used in the plural - fetters can refer
  to anything that confines or restrains.
• Thus, fettered means confined or restrained,
  literally by a chain or shackle placed on the
  feet, or figuratively by something like boredom
  or poverty.

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connoisseur

• a person who is especially competent to pass
  critical judgments in an art, particularly one of
  the fine arts, or in matters of taste a
  connoisseur of modern art.
• a discerning judge of the best in any field a
  connoisseur of horses.

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gait

• a manner of walking, stepping, or running.

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precluded

• to prevent the presence, existence, or occurrence
  of make impossible The insufficiency of the
  evidence precludes a conviction.

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retribution

• retaliation, repayment, recompense.

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afflicted

• to distress with mental or bodily pain trouble
  greatly or grievously to be afflicted with
  arthritis.
• vex, harass, torment, plague.

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explicit

• fully and clearly expressed or demonstrated
  leaving nothing merely implied unequivocal
  explicit instructions an explicit act of
  violence explicit language.
• precise, exact, unambiguous

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Literary Terms Questions
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1. CHARACTERIZE Montresor. What kind of person
is he?

• Concerned with honor kills Fortunato over an
  insult p. 168
• Cruel taunts Fortunato by showing him the
  trowel (p. 171) and screaming w/him when walling
  him up (p. 172)
• Manipulative entraps Fortunato using Fs own
  self-perception (p. 168) servants p. 169
• Sociopathic/psychopathic commits murder with
  little evidence of remorse (p. 173)

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2. What might Fortunatos name mean?

• Someone who is fortunate
• Someone who becomes successful through luck, not
  necessarily hard work

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3. Why might Fortunatos name be IRONIC?

• He is not fortunate in his interactions with
  Montresor, which lead to his death.
• This is the opposite of what we might expect for
  someone whose name implies good luck or fortune.

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4. Give examples of IRONY in the story, including
SITUATIONAL, DRAMATIC, and VERBAL IRONY.

• Situational Fortunato expects Amontillado and
  instead receives death
• Dramatic Fortunato doesnt know hell be killed
  but reader does, and thus gets the trowel joke
  (p. 171) and the cough joke (p. 170)
• Verbal the compliments M pays to F p. 171 M
  implores F to return.

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5. How does not knowing what Fortunato did to
Montresor intensify the horror of this story?

• One could imagine that Fortunatos offense is
  quite minor or unintentional and that Montresor
  is a particularly cruel person
• One could imagine their own friends or
  acquaintances behaving like Montresor

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6. Would the story be better or worse if you knew
what Fortunato did to Montresor? Explain.

• Might be worse because Poes idea of what is
  horrifying might not match yours.
• Might be better if Poe manages to tap into your
  deepest, most secret fears.

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7. Explain how Montresors family motto is
related to the story? To the actions of
Montresor?

• The motto translates, No one insults me with
  impunity.
• This shows that Montresor cannot let an insult be
  forgiven.
• He interprets it to allow/require him to kill
  Fortunato.

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8. How does Montresor manipulate Fortunato? What
CHARACTER TRAITS make Fortunato easy prey for
Montresor?

• Fortunato is really proud of his ability to judge
  fine wines and is competitive with others to show
  his skill. He also likes to drink.
• Montresor appeals to Fortunatos pride w/the
  story of the cask, and uses Luchresi to appeal to
  Fs competitive nature he also preys on Fs
  drunkenness

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9. What is the setting? What details of the
setting contribute to the horror of this story?

• Italy (p. 168 mentions Italians names seem
  Italian)
• During the carnival season (p. 168)
• Probably mid-1800s as the word millionaire (p.
  168) was coined around 1820-1830.
• Horror catacombs, nitre, midnight

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10. Contrast the setting in the beginning of the
story with the setting where Montresor takes
Fortunato.

• The beginning is the craziness of carnival, with
  costumes, colors, noise, parties it is dusk. p.
  168
• The end is in the depth of Montresors family
  crypt with darkness, bones, horror it is
  midnight. p. 171-172

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11. Explain the MOOD of this story. Give examples
from the text to support your answer.

• Horrifying
• Montresor toys with Fortunato,
• showing nitre p. 169,
• taunting about cough p. 170
• and trowel p. 171
• Fortunato is unsteady and drunk when killed p.
  171-172
• while Montresor is calculating and efficient p.
  171-172

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12. Who is the PROTAGONIST of this story?
Justify your answer.

• It is Montresor
• He is the one pursuing a goal, even if we think
  its a negative goal
• The reader gets most insight into his motives and
  thoughts.

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13. Who is the ANTAGONIST of this story? Defend
your answer.

• It is Fortunato
• He is in conflict with Montresor (the
  protagonist) because he has insulted Montresor

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14. Who is the narrator of this story? What kind
of narrator is he?

• Montresor is the narrator
• First person limited (uses I doesnt give
  Fortunatos thoughts
• May be unreliable
• Doesnt explain the insult
• Might have pangs of conscience
• P. 173 My heart grew sick it was the dampness
  of the catacombs
• Why is he telling this story 50 years later?
  possibly deathbed confession?

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15. Explain a symbol in the story.

• The cask of Amontillado could symbolize the
  wealth associated with a rare item, which
  motivates both characters
• Montresors coat of arms could symbolize his
  revenge against Fortunatos insult
• Fortunatos fool costume symbolizes his
  foolishness and greed

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15. Explain a symbol in the story. (cont.)

• Carnival symbolizes a topsy turvy society that
  allows such a murder
• The catacombs symbolize Montresors personality,
  which is pleasant on the outside, but filled with
  death and darkness.

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Romantic Story Analysis Chart
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Fantasy and Imagination

• N/A

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Love of Nature

• N/A

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Intense Emotion

• Montresors desire for revenge
• Fortunatos fear as hes being walled up

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Sympathetic interest in the past, medieval

• Montresors home and catacombs seem medieval

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Exotic Places

• Italy
• Carnival
• Catacombs

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Legends and Myths

• Buried alive

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Death

• Fortunato

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Morbid melancholy insanity

• Montresor is sociopathic

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The Supernatural

• N/A

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Failed Love

• N/A

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Mysticism (spiritual intuition beyond ordinary
understanding)

• N/A

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Rural Life and the Common Man

• N/A