Bellwork: Based on this picture, what do
you think this story will be about?
Cask – a wooden container for
wine
AMONTILLADO
A dry white wine
EDGAR ALLEN POE
“Father” of the short story genre
 Created characters whose sanity is
questionable
 He is the author (not the narrator) of the
story “The Cask of Amontillado”
 His difficult childhood and tragic
experiences influenced his writing

EDGAR ALLEN POE
 His father abandoned the family and his
mother died when he was 2 years old
 He was adopted after he was orphaned
 In college he gambled frequently which
destroyed the relationship with his
adopted father.
 His brother died of tuberculosis
 He married his cousin Virginia Clemm
(she was 13 and he was 27).
 Virginia died 9 years later of tuberculosis
EDGAR ALLEN POE
Most of his stories deal with death, murder,
tragedy (some even include cannibalism!)
 His poem “The Raven” is his most famous work
 It is rumored that he died
of an opium overdose or
alcoholism
 Recent DNA tests suggest Poe
died of Rabies

“The Cask of Amontillado”
“…but when I ventured upon insult, I
vowed revenge.”
 This story is the chilling account of a man
who is insulted by a friend and decides to
avenge his honor through murder.
 It is ironic that the murdered man’s name
is FORTUNATO.

SETTING
“It was about dusk, one evening during the
supreme madness of the carnival season.”
Carnival Season
in Venice
European traditions
of Carnival are known in
America as “Mardi Gras”
Carnival Season
in Venice
Describe what you
know of Carnival
on your Sheet.
“…his head was surmounted by the
conical cap and bells.”
“He had on a tight-fitting
parti-striped dress”
Carn + Val
Carn
= flesh (meat)
Val = farewell
Carnival in Italy
• The story takes place during the
Renaissance (1500 to 1600)
• Carnival is a non-religious (secular)
holiday, but it evolved from the
Christian observance of LENT
• LENT is a period fasting for 40 days
before the celebration of Easter
(sorrowful reflection and abstinence
from fruit, eggs, meat and dairy
products)
In anticipation of the serious
fasting during Lent, carnival
participants engage in wild and
excessive parties before giving up
meat for 40 days.
Parades, costumes, drinking and
feasting are common Carnival
celebrations.
Loud noise in the streets would
make it easy to cover a crime.
The combination of alcohol and
costumes creates an environment
where people let down their
inhibitions.
Palazzo
– a large,
imposing
building (as a
museum or place
of residence) esp.
in Italy
Nitre is a potassium nitrate
salt formerly known as
saltpeter. Saltpeter is
composed of the names “Sal” or
salt, and “Petrae” or rock.
Literally,
salt of the rock.
“…but observe the white
webwork which gleams from the
these cavern walls.”
an ancient vault or catacomb
Nitre encrusted on an ancient jar
Flagon or vase of De
Grave, type of
container used to
hold wine
Trowel hand tool used
by brick masons
MASONS
Two definitions:
A member of the
fraternity of
Freemasons, a worldwide
fraternal organization
OR
One whose occupation is
to build with stone or
brick; also, one who
prepares stone for
building purposes.
Symbol for the Freemasons
THE FAMILY Coat of ARMS
“A huge foot d’or, in a field azure; the foot crushes a serpent
rampant whose fangs are imbedded in the heel.”
(A gold foot on a blue
background. The foot is
crushing a snake whose
fangs are biting the heel”)
FAMILY MOTTO
“Nemo me impune lacessit”
“No one provokes me with impunity”
“No one attacks me and gets away with it!”
Translation:
Carnival
2011
February 25 March 8th
Venetian “Oro” mask
“Romeo” mask
Long-Nose mask
(most common in Italy)
“Plume” mask
“Baton” mask
“Moretta” mask –
held in by the teeth
so the person cannot talk
It is also a tradition
for men and women
to wear matching
costumes