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Plot Analysis of

The Cask of Amontillado

by Edgar Allan Poe

Plot

  • "what happens in a narrative"
  • "a pattern of carefully selected, casually related events that contains conflict"
  • Freytag pyramid (1863)

Plot

Forces in a Conflict

Protagonist - character presented with the problem; Montresor

Antagonist - character presenting the problem; Fortunato

Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe

  • born 1809, orphaned at 3
  • adopted by a Scotish merchant (many Scotish references in regards to Freemasonry)
  • married 13 year old cousin in 1836
  • constants: losing women in his life, losing friends, betrayed trust
  • wrote "The Cask of Amontillado" in 1846, possibly reflected his relationship with his father (Kaulfhold)
  • "secret writing"
  • stories always represent an aspect of the human mind

"The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I be...

"The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge."

Exposition

Explains the nature of the conflict, establishes setting and characters, and background

A man named Montresor offers wine (located in his catacombs) to his friend Fortunato at a carnival at night in Italy. Fortunato does not feel well but agrees to the wine.

Montresor

The character whose point of view the story is told from. He is not described explicitly, although we know from context that he is proud, vengeful, and deceptive. However, he never portrays himself in a bad light. In Romance language, Montresor means "to show fate."

Fortunato

Because Montressor is the narrator, we only know that Fortunato has somehow offended Montressor. We also know he is possibly addicted to wine, insensitive, and possibly too proud. In Latin, Fortunato means "fortunate, blessed, happy."

Amontillado

  • a medium dry sherry (wine)
  • Fortunato, who apparently knows this wine well, says it's different than sherry.
  • coveted by Fortunato
  • according to Montresor, this wine is located in his catacombs

Conflict

  • 2 categories of conflict: internal and external
  • internal: conflict that takes place within the minds of the characters
  • external: conflicts that take place between individuals or individuals and their environment

Internal Conflict

Montresor beleives Fortunato has insulted him previously and desires revenge against him.

No evidence is ever presented in the book

Appears to Fort. to be a genuine sincere friend

External Conflict

Fortunato claims to have wine, showing some arrogance that Montresor hates, furthering his motive to murder Fortunato (Cecil).

External Conflict

Rising Action

Series of events leading up to the climax

Montresor leads a drunk Fortunato down into his catacombs where they supposedly go to find the wine.

Coughing

Fortunato keeps coughing because of the "nitre" in the vaults (potassium nitrate, salt) but he refuses to turn back even when Montresor encourages him to

Coughing

Family Crest

They discuss Mont's family crest:

"A huge human foot d'or, in a field azure; the foot crushes a serpant rampant whose fangs are imbedded in the heel."

Fortunato - snake that bit Montresor

Montresor - huge foot that smashes the snake (Fort.)

Masons

  • Fortunato reveals to be a part of the Free Masons (a secret society)
  • He asks if Mont. is a mason as well and Mont. takes out a trowel
  • forshadowing
  • Fortunato laughs at his "friend"

Climax

The most intense part in the narrative

When they reach the vault, Montresor chains a drunk Fortunato to the hole in the wall and begins to bury him alive by sealing up the hole with bricks

Falling Action

Contains events that are less intense and usually lead toward resolution of the conflict and a stable situation

Fortunato begins to shout and cry for him to stop but as Montresor continues on building the wall to seal him in, he falls quiet

Resolution

"dénouement" (unraveling), resolution of the conflict, is not always a happy ending

Montresor leaves Fortunato behind in the catacombs and walks away, claiming no one has touched them for 50 years.

Sources

  • Ray, Rebecca. “Cask of Amontillado Plot Diagram Storyboard by Rebeccaray.” Storyboard That, 10 Mar. 2017, www.storyboardthat.com/storyboards/rebeccaray/plot---cask-of-amontillado.
  • Kaufhold, John A. Neuroses of Edgar Allan Poe: A Fever Called Living. ebook, IUniverse Com, 2008.
  • Cecil, L. Moffitt (1972). "Poe's Wine List". Poe Studies. 5 (2): 41
  • Gardner, Jessica. “Why Does Montresor Say That He Is a Mason?Thanks to Anyone Who Helps! :).” Enotes.com, Enotes.com, www.enotes.com/homework-help/why-does-montresor-say-that-he-mason-287321#.
  • “Interpreting Fiction.” Writing Essays about Literature: a Guide and Style Sheet, by Kelley Griffith, Cengage Learning, 2014, pp. 35–39.

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