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The Cask Of Amontillado Essay

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The Cask of Amontillado is a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe and first published in November 1846 in Godey’s Lady’s Book. () Poe wrote this story right before his final decline, caused by the death of his wife Virginia Clemm. There are two main characters: Fortunato and Montresor. This second one wants to take revenge on Fortunato as an answer to his supposed insults. Montresor tricks his enemy, taking him to his home’s crypts with the promise of the tasting of some new wine. However, once they arrive there Montresor begins entombing Fortunato so he dies of dehydration. Poe is characterized by writing terror stories and this is the case of The Cask of Amontillado, as he uses the settings and the characters to frighten. Poe sets the story in an unknown town or village in Italy during carnival season, which is supposed to be a season of happiness and light: "It was about dusk, one evening during the supreme madness of the carnival season." (3) It could be said that it is set in Venice, as it has the most important carnival in Italy, and it would give sense to the main topic of the story in relation to the well-known Italian “vendetta:” revenge. However, later in the story, Montresor chains and entombs Fortunato in the catacombs of his house, a dark place. This last setting is …show more content…

He was a very calculating and cold person. Readers never know how he is feeling about Fortunato, they just know about those “thousand injuries” (3) and “insults” (3), and that he is waiting for the best chance to kill Fortunato: “I continued, as was my wont, to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation.” (3) He perfectly knows the major weakness of his rival and he takes advantage of it: Fortunato is very proud and follows Montresor to be the first one trying a new Amontillado wine. He also chooses the best moment to commit his crime: the

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