Cask of Amontillado2

A detailed Summary of Cask of Amontillado2

In “The Cask of Amontillado” Edgar Allan Poe takes us on a trip into the mind of a mad man. The story relates a horrible revenge made even more horrible by the fact that the vengeance is being taken when no real offense had been given. This concept sets the mood for true evil.

The plot of the story is simple. Montresor takes revenge on his friend Fortunato by luring him into the wine cellar under the family estate. There he leads Fortunato into the depths of the catacombs where he buries him alive by walling him into a recess in the wall.

This story is told in first person, from the point of view of Montresor. The exposition of the story occurs when Montresor tells us that he wants to take revenge on Fortunato because “he ventured upon insult.” What this insult was we do not know. We do know that he intends to go unpunished for this act of reprisal. Montresor then informs us that he is going to continue to smile in Fortunato’s face, while using Fortunato’s pride in his knowledge wine to lure him into the catacombs to taste some of his imaginary amontillado.

At this point, the reader knows the conflict will be one of man versus man. It is

In this story the character of Montresor is revealed through his own words. When he reveals he is going to punish Fortunato for merely insulting him, that he has planned the whole act of vengeance, and that he has been playing as being Fortunato’s friend, we know we are dealing with a demented personality. His character is also revealed with references to his family. It is almost as if Poe has Montresor’s ancestors tell the reader how nicely he fits into the family tree. His family motto is “No one attacks me with impunity” and a coat of arms that depicts a snake whose last instinct before death is to poison the foot that crushed it. Montresor is as evil as his forebears were. He shows no remorse about what he has done, even in old age. Montresor’s malice toward Fortunato is highlighted when he says, “In pace requiescat!”* This sarcastic comment at the end of the story truly shows Montresor’s hatred and total disregard for Fortuato’s life.

The conclusion lets us know that Montresor was never punished for this crime. Fifty years has passed and he is an old man telling the story on his deathbed. The true horror is that Fortunato died a terrible death, utterly alone, and his killer was never brought to justice.

an external struggle because Fortunato and

Some common words found in the essay are:
Poe Montresor’s, Fortunato Montresor, Allan Poe, Cask Amontillado,

Approximate Word count = 889
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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