Preview

Cask of Amontillado

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1232 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Cask of Amontillado
Tristin Gimenez
Enc. 1102
Prof. Jacobs
12 April 2013

The Cask of Amontillado

Since the beginning of time, deceit has brought the fall of man. Deceit has always been a primary trait of evil. In biblical times, Cain and Abel (The first children ever born) are a perfect example of the situation in “The Cask of Amontillado”. Cain (the older brother) was jealous of his younger brother Abel, because he believed he was God’s favorite. He took Abel to a cliff and tricked him and bashed his head with a stone and pushed him off a cliff. The deceit and trickery of one man caused the death and fall of another. Deceitfulness, trickery, lies, etcetera all bring about a negative outcome to the matter.
“The Cask of Amontillado” is a short fictional story based on the deceitfulness and trickery of one man leading to the fall and death of another. The story is based upon two men. Fortunato a wine Connoisseur, who is dressed like a jester, (I will get more descriptive about that later), and falls to a fate caused by deceit and trickery in what seemed to be a carefree carnival. The second man is Montressor, not much is said about who he is, besides him being the narrator with an envious, dark heart. With Montressor being the narrator you have a more descriptive look at why he does what he does, and what his true motives were. Poe however still skillfully masks his true intensions, making it a surprised ending for the reader as well as Fortunato.
The story begins on the street surface at a carnival somewhere in Italy. The first sentence of the story tells that Montressor wants revenge on Forturnato for insulting him. “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge.” (pg. 101) While wanting to exact his revenge on Fortunato he wants to do it in a way that doesn’t put him in risk of being caught. Fortunato who is a wine connoisseur, is approached by Montressor in a black silk mask. Montressor decides to



Cited: 1.) “The Norton Introduction to Literature” (Shorter Tenth Edition) by Alison Booth and Kelly J. Mays 2.) http://www.shmoop.com/cask-of-amontillado/summary.html 3.) James W. Gargano, “‘The Cask of Amontillado’: A Masquerade of Motive and Identity,” in Studies in Short Fiction, Vol. IV, October, 2005 - July, 2006, pp. 119-26. 4.) Zondervan NIV Study Bible.  Fully rev. ed.  Kenneth L. Barker, gen. ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002.  Print

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Cask of Amontillado

    • 423 Words
    • 2 Pages

    “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could; but when he ventured upon, I vowed revenge.” Montresor has felt that he has been insulted by Fortunato and he seeks revenge upon him. Since Montresor is seeking revenge Fortunato has to watch out, but that may be hard because throughout the story Fortunato is gullible, full of pride, and is an alcoholic.…

    • 423 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Reynolds, David S. “On ‘The Cask of Amontillado.’” Literature: Reading Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Ed. Robert DiYanni. 6th ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2007. 183 – 184.…

    • 826 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Cask of Amontillado

    • 552 Words
    • 3 Pages

    I really don’t know what has become of me. I am very different now compared to then. He made me different. I used to be a very kind gentleman. I was little when I met him. He seemed kind at first. He seemed a lot like me. Little did I know he was going to change my life forever. My name is Montressor my last name is anyway. You don’t need to know my first name, but what you do need to know is that no one attacks me with impunity.…

    • 552 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Edgar Allen Poe is known for using many different artistic elements to create eerie, spooky stories. In “The Cask of Amontillado,” Poe uses first person point of view to let the reader know how proud the narrator, Montresor, is with his past impunitistic murders. “I must not only punish but punish with impunity” (pg.236). The use of setting and imagery makes the mood dark and gloomy.…

    • 501 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The Cask of Amontillado

    • 790 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In “The Cask Of Amontillado” there are several themes shown throughout the short story. There are only two main characters in the story, and each shows their way of betrayal. The entire story is based on betrayal, and lies. Fortunado is betrayed by Monresor, who in the end, kills this intoxicated man. Montresor was supposedly betrayed by Fortunado, a story of which we are never told. Finally, we as the reader are betrayed by the narrator, because we are given so few details and logic to back up the story. Fortunado, Montresor, and the reader are betrayed throughout the short story, “The Cask Of Amontillado”.…

    • 790 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Cask of Amontillado

    • 632 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The symbolism of this story describes what this story is about, Montresor killing Fortunato. At the time that Montresor is telling the story, he is on his deathbed confessing a terrible sin that he has done. He seems to have some regrets because he hesitates for a moment. When Montresor tries to call…

    • 632 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Cask of Amontillado

    • 1116 Words
    • 5 Pages

    In “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe, the main character named Montresor is set out for revenge. Montresor’s only concern is to get revenge on the man who has wronged him named Fortuanto. Montresor never states why Fortunato deserves to be punished. The only statement Montresor makes is that Fortunato “causes him a thousand injuries” until “venturing upon insult.” (Poe, Online) Montresor plans to take out his revenge by burying Fortunato alive. Montresor carries out each detail while he smiles at his victim. Montresor doesn’t smile at the thought of Fortunato’s “immolation” but because of viciousness. (Sweet Jr. Online) Montresor smiles because he believes the sacrifice of Fortunato will bring him a great reward. Fortunato is ironically the “mirror self” of Montresor (Sweet Jr. Online). Montresor’s desire to bury Fortunato alive “paints the psychological portrait of repression” (Sweet Jr. Online). The burial of Fortunato represses Montresor’s evil nature and puts him at peace. In “The Cask of Amontillado,” Edgar Allan Poe uses irony to develop his theme of seeking salvation through repression.…

    • 1116 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Cask of Amontillado

    • 790 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The story takes place in Italy at a carnival where Montresor and Fortunato meet each other by chance, or so it is seems. The mood at the carnival is lively and exciting. It is then that the two men head towards the catacombs of Montresor's home in search of the wine Amontillado. The catacombs are a place of death where skeletons lie scattered against the damp walls, which are covered in nitre. Montresor dons a "mask of black silk" and a heavy knee length cloak (149). Montresor's clothes seem to indicate his wanting to conceal himself so he can carry out his devious plan. On the other side of the spectrum, Fortunato wears a "tight fitting parti-striped dress, and his head [is] surmounted by the conical cap and bells" (149). His clothing seems to indicate his trusting but foolish nature. The clothing of both men seems to set the mood for the type of characters they are. However, Montresor's true character is indicated through his words. From the beginning of the story his vengeful nature sets the tone for the acts that will follow. One of the first things that Montresor narrates to the reader about Fortunato is that he "…must not only punish but punish with impunity" (149). Montresor is also manipulative, as he tells Fortunato that he will have someone else taste the Amontillado, knowing that by doing this Fortunato will feel compelled to taste the wine himself. "As you are engaged, I am on my way to Luchresi. If anyone has a critical turn it is he. He will tell me…" (150). In addition to being manipulative and vengeful he also…

    • 790 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Womack, Martha. “Edgar Allan Poe 's ‘The Cask of Amontillado.’” The Poe Decoder. 1 Oct 2010.…

    • 1058 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Cask of Amontillado.” Literature: Approaches to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. 2nd ed. Robert DiYanni. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008. 1592. Print.…

    • 1146 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The very first sentence it shows that this story is going to be told by Montresor (from a first person point of view). In the first sentence of the first paragraph Montresor claims Fortunato has bestowed “thousand injuries” against him. Even though Fortunato has supposedly insulted Montresor; Montresor never goes on to state what exactly Fortuanto has done to him. Next he states that he “vowed revenge” on Fortunato. Just from the one sentence Montresor shows he has a bias for how the story happened and played out.…

    • 686 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Cask of Amontillado

    • 338 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Baraban, Elena V. "The Motive for Murder in 'The Cask of Amontillado '." Rocky Mountain Review 58.2 (Fall 2004): 47-62. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism. Vol. 111. Detroit: Gale, 2008. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 14 May 2011.…

    • 338 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Cask of Amontillado

    • 901 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Anything not taken in moderation can be damaging. In one of Edgar Allen Poe's best-known tales of horror, "The Cask of Amontillado," he suggests that pride can be a very dangerous thing, when one is overwhelmed with it. Through the use of foreshadowing, irony, and symbolism, Poe presents a horrific drama of two men. One who will stop at nothing to get the revenge that he deems himself and his family worthy of, and another who's pride will ultimately be the fall of his own death. Fortunato falls prey to Montressor's plans because he is so proud of his connoisseurship of wine, and it is for the sake of his own pride that Montressor takes revenge on Fortunato. Poe utilizes the theme of pride and many other literary techniques such as foreshadowing, revenge, and irony, in order to create a horrific and suspenseful masterpiece.…

    • 901 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    The Cask of Amontillado

    • 2029 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Cited: Poe, Edgar Allan. "A Cask of Amontillado." Literature: Approaches to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Robert DiYanni. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2004.…

    • 2029 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    “Nobody attacks me without punishment.” In Edgar Allen Poe’s chilling story, “The Cask of Amontillado,” this was Montresor, the protagonist’s, family motto. After being rudely insulted by a wine connoisseur, by the name of Fortunato, this motto came into play. On the night of an event called Carnival Night, in Italy, Fortunato, the antagonist, became a target of revenge. He was led into believing that something sweet awaited him. Little did he know that he was walking right into his doom. Fortunato makes himself an easy target because he was persistent, gullible, and foolish.…

    • 552 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays