The Cask of Amontillado
Plot
Vocabulary
Setting: France- 1800's
Carnival
Tombs/Catacombs/Caves
Montressor's house
Point of View: 1st person (Montressor)
Protagonist: Montressor
Antagonist: Fortunato
Conflict: Montressor and Fortunato must endure the dangers of the catacombs to find the cask of Amontillado and figure out if it was genuine
- Catacomb: An underground cemetery consisting of tombs
- Nitre: any compound containing the nitrate group; dangerous
- Avenged: inflict harm on behalf of oneself or in return for
- Absconded: to leave hurriedly and secretly, typically to avoid detection, of or arrest for an unlawful action
- Ignoramus: An ignorant or stupid person
- Trowel: a small hand held tool with a flat pointed blade used to apply and spread mortar
- Family Motto: "Nemo me impune lacessit"- Nobody attacks me with impunity
Plot
Climax: Montressor begins to build Fortunato into a tomb by creating a wall
Effect on the Reader
How the Central Idea Connects to the Theme
Irony
Foreshadowing
The theme of the story is to always trust your instincts. The central idea connects to this because at first Fortunato did not want to go into Montressor's catacombs but felt pressured. If Fortunato had trusted his instincts, he would have never died.
"' Enough,' he said; ' the cough's a mere nothing; it will not kill me. I shall not die of a cough.'" (Pg. 3)
Rising Action: Montressor brings Fortunato to his catacombs to taste his Amontillado; Fortunato becomes very sick from the nitre
" THE thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge."
Falling Action: Montressor calls for Fortunato but there is no answer; Montressor realizes Fortunado has been poisoned.
Effect
The purpose of the author using irony is to make the reader think. This is irony because the quote shows that Fortunato thinks he won't die of a cough but he ends up dying from the fumes of the nitre. This makes the reader feel bamboozled, because they really thought that it was just a cough, and Fortunato would make it out alive, when if fact he did not.
This quote makes the reader feel suspicious because Montressor is vowing revenge on Fortunato for an unknown reason. The reader can assume that Montressor might do something bad to Fortunato.
Exposition: Montressor vows revenge on Fortunato; Montressor meets Fortunato at the Carnival
Resolution: Montressor finishes walling him in and then Fortunato dies. No one will discover the body for another 50 years.
Summary
Central Idea
Edgar Allen Poe wants the reader to realize that you shouldn't trust people too easily, as they may have something more devious in mind.
Montressor and Fortunato meet up at Carnival where Montressor reveals to Fortunato that he has a sought after wine called Amontillado, that he bought at a very low price so he is questioning its authenticity. Montressor, knowing that Forunato is a wine expert, asks him to come to his house and taste the wine which is hidden in his family catacombs. It is a dangerous course so Fortunato is reluctant but agrees to go. When in the tombs, Fortunato begins to cough because of the nitre that naturally grows in the caves. When close to the wine, Montressor begins to wall Fortunato into a small space until he completes enclosing him into a tomb. Montressor calls for Fortunato a while later, but there is no answer... Fortunato is dead. t
Reflection
Alyssa- At first, the story was hard to understand, but we bounced ideas off of each other and figured out the meaning
Chloe- At first, I was hesitant about the story but then I realized it had a great plot
Aubrey- Even though the story was hard to understand, we pulled through and deciphered the dark secrets
- Our group worked well together on trying to decipher the story
- We annotated together and collaborated nicely
- We connected ideas
- Good teamwork
- We learned many new vocabulary words