The Cask of Amontillado
by Edgar Allan Poe
Introduction to English Literature
September 11th, 2018
(1846)
Edgar Allan Poe
1809-1849
• American Author
• Developed characters whose
sanity is questionable.
• laid the foundations for the
modern detective story.
• Known as a significant
contributor to the
development of the short
story as a literary genre.
What is a cask?
• A wooden barrel or
container usually used for
holding liquids
Amontillado…
• a pale, dry sherry
• named after the
Montilla region of
Spain where this style
of wine originated in
the 18th century
Vocabulary
• impunity – (n) freedom from consequences
• retribution – (n) payback; punishment for a
misdeed
• redress – (v) set right, remedy
• connoisseur – (n) a person who has great
knowledge about the fine arts, cuisines, or
an expert judge in matters of taste
“…but when he ventured upon
insult, I vowed revenge.”
“The Cask of Amontillado” is the
narrator’s account of his ability to
carry out a chilling plot of
revenge against his offender.
Precision in time, place, and
setting allows the narrator both
the retribution he seeks and the
impunity he demands.
Setting
• Mid 1800s
• Italy
• Carnival Season (before Lent)
Carnival & Lent
• Carnival is a secular holiday, but it evolved
from the Christian observance known as
Lent.
• Lent is a solemn forty-day period of fasting
prior to Easter.
• Traditionally, the fasting during Lent
involves abstaining from eating meat.
• Modern interpretations of fasting may
involve abstaining from anything one enjoys.
Carn + Val
FLESH (Meat) + FAREWELL
• In anticipation of the solemnity of
Lent, the celebration of Carnival
evolved.
• Participants engage in excessive
and extreme behavior to bid
farewell to meat-eating (and
merriment).
• Carnival is a time of EXCESS
and INDULGENCE.
• BINGEING upon food and
alcohol is common
Partying in the streets and
masquerading are enjoyed.
The combination of alcohol and costumes creates an
atmosphere where people tend to let down their selfconsciousness..
“The Cask of Amontillado” is set during the “supreme
madness” of Carnival. In such an uncontrolled atmosphere, it is
easy to see how a crime could go unnoticed..
Lifestyles of the Rich
Circa 1700-1800
Fine Wine (vintages)
Palazzos (mansions)
The narrator plans for his revenge
to take place in the catacombs
beneath his estate.
What are catacombs?
Catacombs are characterized by extensive tunnels
leading to chambers or recesses where the dead
repose for eternity.
The wealthy could opt for family
catacombs beneath their estates
The narrator of “The Cask of
Amontillado” carries out his revenge
within the catacombs beneath his
palazzo.
The narrator is able to lure his victim
into the catacombs with the promise of
Amontillado, a fine sherry wine.
The Storage of Wine
• The “supreme madness” of Carnival aside,
why doesn’t the suggestion of a journey to
the catacombs for a taste of wine seem odd
or suspicious to the victim
For wines to maintain their best quality,
they need to be stored at fairly cool and
constant temperatures.
modern electric refrigeration was not
available…
– To protect wine collections,
connoisseurs adopted the practice of
storing wines under the ground
where temperatures remain ideal
year-round.
– Basements, cellars, and even
catacombs serve as excellent storage
facilities for the precious vintages.
Herein, where
wine bottles
intermingle with
the bones of the
dead, the
narrator carries
out his plan for
revenge
“The Cask of Amontillado”
ENJOY THIS LITERARY
JOURNEY INTO THE DARK
SIDE OF REVENGE!
PLOT DIAGRAM
Climax:

Montresor chains Fortunato to the wall of the niche and Fortunato screams for
mercy…
Falling Action:

Montresor builds a stone wall and traps
Fortunato inside…

Montresor thrusts his torch into the crypt and
hears only the jingling of the bells on
Fortunato’s cap (costume)…

Montresor replaces the pile of bones to cover
the crypt’s entrance
Rising Action:

Fortunato is intoxicated and not
fully aware of his surroundings

Montresor claims that he has
purchased a cask of wine and
Fortunato has doubts about it
being Amontillado

Montresor invites Fortunato to his
catacombs to taste his wine
Exposition:

Italy, mid 1800s, Carnival Season

Montresor (wealthy – or used to
be, vengeful, clever, sinister,
manipulative) and Fortunato
(wealthy, wine connoisseur, naïve
and vain)

Fortunato is oblivious to the fact
that Montresor views him as an
enemy.
Conflict:
• Montresor seeks revenge
on Fortunato for
inflicting a final insult
upon him.
Resolution:

Fortunato is left for dead—to
“Rest in Peace”—

Montresor confessing to
‘something’ or ‘someone’ what
he did over 50 years ago…