The Cask of Amontilado
°The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge.± So begins The Cask of Amontillado, Poe¯s horrifying tale of pride and retribution. Told by Monstresor, this story tells of how he lured his friend Fortunato into literally walking into his own grave. From the opening sentence the reader can perceive that Monstresor is proud and vengeful, and would do anything to save face. As the story progresses, Monstresor unravels the chilling tale of how he got his revenge, though vengence had been taken when no real offense had been given. In the midst of a great carnival Monstresor approaches Fortunato, claiming he has purchased a cask of Amontillado. He goes on to say that he doubted the authenticity of the wine, and was on his way to Luchresi¯s to ask him to taste it. °[Fortunato] prided hi
The menacing atmosphere is just one element of the gothic style. The sinister catacombs and the wicked Monstresor also play a key role in developing this tale of horror. What makes this story even more horrifying is that there is no real violence in the modern definition of the word. Monstresor was vengeful, yet he was very intelligent in his actions to kill Fortunato. Without a doubt, this tale of retribution is one of Poe¯s best works. The vault, deep underneath the Monstresor estate, is °insufferably damp± and °encrusted with nitre.± The way Poe describes these catacombs further accentuates the morbidness of the situation. °We passed through a range of low arches, descended, passed on, and descending again, arriving at a deep crypt, in which the foulness of the air caused our flambeaux rather to glow than flame.± The ominous tone of this story is characteristic of the gothic style of writing. Foreshadowing
Some common words found in the essay are:
Sherry± Fortunato, Fortunato Foreshadowing, Told Monstresor, Masonic Monstresor, Cask Amontillado, Monstresor Fortunato, Amontillado Poe¯s, Zhang November, cask amontillado, monstresor family, coat arms, gothic style,
Approximate Word count = 624
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)
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