Montresor’s vendetta against Fortunato. Person vs. Self – Montresor’s fight with hisn mind and the
person that he is. Person vs. Society – By Montresor’s murdering one of his own kind.
The Cask of Amontillado
Themes
Themes
Freedom and Confinement
The contrast between freedom and confinement is extreme, . Most of the story takes
place in a vast and incredibly foul-smelling underground graveyard. Freedom becomes
less and less of a possibility as the characters move into smaller and smaller crypts while
on the other hand, confinement makes both the readers and the characters appreciate
the deliciousness of fresh air.
Betrayal
Betrayal drives the action in the story. One characters betrayal
sets off a hideous chain of retribution and revenge.
Drugs and Alcohol
The only literal drug that we can identify in “The Cask of Amontillado” is wine. But there are
many other drugs circulating between the lines. “Drugs,” in this story, can be anything the
characters want badly enough to do awful or foolish things for.
Mortality
“The Cask of Amontillado” has a frightening fixation on death, corpses, and bones.
Foolishness
The story amplifies human foolishness and folly to extremes so hideous and cruel they become vices.
CHARACTERS
Montresor (protagonist) : someone smart with a quirky personality.
Fortunato (antagonist): Friend of Montresor, sure of himself,
mockery.
Setting
Place: Italy
Time: Carnival season
The atmosphere: is suspense and in some point a mystery and horror
Plot
Exposition
During Carnival in Italy , Montresor
runs into Fortunato,and offers to
share a bottle of Amontillado wine
with him
Inciting Force
Fortunato is drunk. He
insults Montresor
Rising Action
Montresor chains
Fortunato to the walls of
the catacombs
Climax
Montresor chains Fortunato to the
wall of the catacombs. Montresor
then ignores the screams of
Fortunato for mercy.
Falling Action
Fortunato stops screaming, and Montresor only
hears the jingling of the bells on his costume when
he throws his torch into the catacombs. Montresor
also is finishing sealing the wall he is making in
front of Fortunato, so one finds him.