The Cask of Amontillado Background The Cask of

The Cask of Amontillado

• Background • The Cask of Amontillado • Published 1846 • One theory for the inspiration for story was a feud Poe had with 2 other poets • The story was somewhat controversial for focusing his story on a crime with no apparent motive, and a murderer with no apparent remorse

BEHIND THE STORY • Poe had a real fear of being buried alive • After reading Poe’s work, a Russian inventor created a device that allowed “deceased” to ring a bell so that live people above ground would know the buried person was not really dead • Think about this as we read “Cask of Amontillado”

Overview • The story is narrated by Montresor, who carries a grudge against Fortunato for an offense that is never explained • Montresor leads a drunken Fortunato through a series of chambers beneath his palazzo

• Although Fortunato has a horrible cough the promise of a taste of Amontillado spurs him deeper and deeper into the underground • When the two men reach the last underground chamber, Montresor chains Fortunato to the wall, builds a new wall to seal him in, and leaves him to die

• Literary Focus • Themes and Conflicts • Revenge • Madness • Deception • Remorse vs. Lack of Remorse • Pride • Friendship • Power and Respect • Social Clases and Social Significance within Society

• Literary Focus • A foot in a blue background crushing a snake whose fangs are • Symbols embedded in the foot's heel • Montresor’s Coat • “No one attacks me with impunity” of Arms and motto, Nemo me • Both the coat of arms and impune lacessit motto are representative of Montresor’s lust for revenge • He will crush Fortunado for the “injuries” he has given • Fortunado belongs to a secret society called the Freemasons • Montresor says he is also a mason, but then produces a trowel used for regular masonery work • Irony • Fortunado thinks this action is trivial, but the trowel ends up • The Usage of a playing an integral part in his Trowel demise.

• Literary Focus • Point of View • Told in the first person by Montresor • By presenting the story in the first person, Poe puts the reader at the mercy of an unreliable narrator, a mad man, who decides what to tell and what to leave out.

• Fortunato • Montresor's sworn enemy, • Fortunato displays no uneasiness in Montresor's company, and is unaware that his friend is plotting against him. • Fortunato is a proud connoisseur of fine wine • He is urged on by the chance of sampling some rare Amontillado

• Luchesi • Acquaintance of Montresor's and Fortunato's • A rival wine expert of Fortunado’s • Montresor keeps Fortunato on the trail of the Amontillado by threatening to allow Luchesi to sample it first

• Montresor • Holds a grudge against his friend Fortunato, who has committed several unnamed offenses against him • Wealthy and lives in a palazzo • Has planned murder of Fortunado • Telling the story fifty years after it has taken place he reveals no regret for his actions