THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO
By Edgar Allan Poe
Why should we read it?
First of all, you’ll understand this meme once you’ve
read it:
Secondly, the story deals with universal themes like vengeance
and conscience, trust and betrayal, human folly (foolishness).
Finally, Poe is a master of suspense. Notice how he establishes
mood and plays with ironic and symbolic elements in the story.
Before we begin reading, let’s
get a little background
information to aid our
comprehension. Let’s start
with the title. What is a cask of
amontillado anyway?
A cask is a large wooden barrel used to
store liquids, typically alcoholic ones.
Do not confuse it with a casket. A casket is used to
store people, typically dead ones. (Read Edgar Allan
Poe’s “A Premature Burial” to catch the humor of that
line).
While you should never confuse these two containers,
do notice the shared root word “cask.” Edgar Allan
Poe was a master of horror and language. The word
similarity was surely not lost upon him.
Okay, but what is Amontillado?
A variety of sherry (fortified wine). It is
named for the Montilla region in Spain.
More wine terms from the story:
Medoc – a type of French wine
Pipe – a large cask that
holds 126 gallons.
Flagon - a large usually
metal or pottery vessel
(as for wine) with handle
and spout and often a lid.
More vocabulary and
background information.
Sconce and flambeaux – Flambeaux is a fancy way
of saying torch. The sconce refers to the wall
attachment that holds the torch.
Catacombs – a subterranean (underground) cemetery of
galleries with recesses for tombs —usually used in plural.
There are different styles of catacombs. Some can look
like this one. Notice there are recesses for the bodies.
But some can look like this…
Bones and skulls actually form the walls.
Roquelaure – a cloak reaching to the knees
Motley - the multi-colored dress of a jester
Niter, a.k.a. saltpeter, causes
respiratory tract irritation if inhaled.
Saltpeter, the common name for
potassium nitrate, a white,
crystalline solid composed of
potassium, nitrogen, and oxygen. It
is also called niter. Saltpeter
commonly occurs as a crust on the
soil and on the surface of rocks in
dry climates and in the soil of
limestone caves. Its name is derived
from the Latin sal petrae, salt of the
rock. Naturally occurring saltpeter
is found in very limited quantities.
The story’s setting: Italy during Carnival
Montresor’s coat of arms:
Does the
foot or the
snake
represent
Montresor?
Is the snake
biting the foot
because it has
been stepped on
or is the foot
crushing the
snake because it
has been bitten?
Nobody provokes me with impunity.
In other words, nobody gets away with insulting/harming me
without punishment/revenge.
Irony found in names:
Fortunato means “fortunate one” or “lucky
one” in Italian.
The type of Medoc they are drinking? It is
called De Grave.
Dramatic Irony - The audience or reader
knows more than the character. Consequently,
we may ascribe a different meaning to the
character’s words than what he intended.
In “The Cask of Amontillado,” do we know
something that Fortunato does not? Are there
times where Fortunato says something or
Montresor says something and we take it very
differently than how Fortunato takes it?
Pay attention to the plot and the
setting. Do you notice any allusions
(references) or parallels to Hell and
Satan? Can you find any symbolism
or allegory (a tale with a literal and
symbolic meaning)?