The Cask of Amontillado Edgar Allan Poe Edgar

“The Cask of Amontillado” Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe �Biographical information �PAGE 218

Unreliable Narrator �Writers sometimes take on a persona �A mask or a voice for the 1 st person narrator. �You need to ask yourself, even though the story may be told in first person, can you trust what the narrator tells you. �Sometimes a writer will have the narrator be unreliable to tell a story from their point of view

Unreliable Narrator �An unreliable narrator may not always know the whole truth �An unreliable narrator may try to deceive us on purpose. �Pay attention to the narrator’s actions, statements, voice, word choice, and attitude. �These will provide you with clues to determine if the narrator is telling you the whole truth!

Drawing Conclusions �When you read, act like a detective! �Gather information to be able to draw conclusions or make judgments. �Look closely at what the characters say and do.

Summary �Montresor, the Italian nobleman narrating this tale, claims that Fortunato has injured and insulted him and vows revenge. �Meeting Fortunato during the winter carnival, Montresor feigns friendship and lures him to his home to taste some amontillado, a rare wine that is kept in a cask in an underground vault.

Summary Continued �Once they are underground, Montresor chains Fortunato to a wall and bricks him in, burying him alive! � 50 years later, the crime remains undiscovered. He has committed what he considers “the perfect crime” (he mentioned this in the 1 st paragraph) because he does not get caught/there is no punishment.

So…. �Is Montresor to be believed, or is he an unreliable narrator? �Is he lying or is he simply mad? ?