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Cask Of Amontillado

Decent Essays

“The Cask of Amontillado” is a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe. It was first published in an issue of Godey’s Lady’s Book in November of 1846. The story is set in an unnamed city in Italy during the carnival season. The story is told by a man name Montresor; he is confessing to someone about the time he murdered his “friend” named Fortunato fifty years ago because Fortunato had insulted him. The story deals with Montresor's means of deceiving Fortunato and carrying out his revenge upon him. Montresor has never let Fortunato how much he truly despised him. Montresor knows that Fortunato considers himself a connoisseur of fine wines, and especially of one known as Amontillado, so he asked him for his opinion on a newly acquired cask of Amontillado. Montresor enticed Fortunato with the rare wine. Fortunato was determined to taste the wine and insisted on being taken to Montresor's home. Montresor agreed while wrapping himself in a black cloak to make sure that he would not be recognized, and off they went. …show more content…

He did this so he could avoid Fortunato's suspicions, and it would also prevent anyone being a witness to this terrible crime. He had chosen carnival time as the setting for his wrongdoing because amid the vivacity of the carnival, he was sure he could avoid any possibility of being detected. As they passed deeper into the vaults, the nitre caused Fortunato to cough constantly; he was determined to continue. At one point, Montresor paused and offered Fortunato a bottle of Medoc wine to “help ward off the cold and the fumes of the nitre.” Here it seems like Montresor preformed a good deed, but this was only done to keep the victim drunk and unaware of his impending

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