SHORT STORY SUMMARY

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(No Transcript)
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SHORT STORY SUMMARY

• TITLE The Cask of Amontillado
• AUTHOR Edgar Allan Poe
• SETTING (Time and Place) Italy, late
  1700s-early 1800s during Carnival

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CHARACTERS (List and describe on separate lines)

• Fortunato drunk, wealthy, respected, feared,
  has a bad cold, wine expert, prideful, stubborn,
  insulted Montresor
• Montresor deceptive, wants revenge against
  Fortunato, wealthy, cunning, devious, his
  familys coat of arms is a foot crushing a snake

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SUMMARY

• Montresor has been insulted by Fortunato and vows
  to get revenge without suffering from harm or
  punishment. He finds Fortunato at Carnival, who
  has been drinking, and entices him to follow him
  home and verify the contents of a cask of rare
  wine.

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Summary continued

• He shackles him to a wall in the family catacombs
  and builds a wall around him leaving him to die.

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POINT OF VIEW

• This short story is told from the first person
  point of view. Montresor tells the story 50 years
  later.

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Conflict

• Internal Montresor vs. himself - He cant
  forgive the insult
• External Montresor vs. Fortunato - Montresor
  wants revenge and leaves Fortunato to die in the
  catacombs of his house

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SYMBOLS

• Bells happiness/Carnival/foolishness
• End of bells ringing death, Death toll
• Montresor crest and motto killing the enemy
  that attacks the family

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Symbols continued

• Amontillado trickery, deception, lure, pride,
  weakness
• Trowel helps in the construction of Fortuantos
  tomb

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THEME

• 1. Revenge is sweet.
• 2. Be careful of what you say and who you
  offend.
• 3. What goes around comes around (Karma).

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Other Literary Elements

• Flashback The narrator is telling the story
  after 50 years has passed.
• Foreshadowing Family crest and motto, I shall
  not die of a cough, toast to a long life.

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Other Literary Elements contd

• Mood dark, dreary, damp, death
• Verbal Irony luckily met, man to be missed
  rest in peace, toast to a long life
• Irony the name Fortunato (fortunate)

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PLOT DEVELOPMENT CHART

• EXPOSITION Meet Narrator, Montresor, learn he
  has something against Fortunato and vows revenge
• NARRATIVE HOOK Fortunato agrees to follow
  Montresor to the vault.

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Plot Development Chart

• RISING ACTION Montresor lures Fortunato deeper
  into the catacombs, taunting him and teasing him
  the entire time without Fortunato being aware.
• CLIMAX Montresor chains Fortunato to the wall
  and begins to build up a wall around him.

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Plot Development Chart

• FALLING ACTION Montresor gets a cold chill after
  hearing bells. Fortunato does not reply.
• RESOLUTION 50 years later, Fortunatos bones are
  untouched. Montresor is still around to tell the
  story.

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QUOTATION INTERPRETATION

• Quote
• A man that studieth revenge keeps his own wounds
  green.

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Quote Interpretation

• In your own words, explain what this quote means
  to you A person that spends all of his time
  thinking about and trying to get revenge will
  keep the hurt fresh in his mind. Green meaning
  new, fresh young.

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Quote Interpretation

• How does this quote relate to the story you just
  read? Montresor was able to get revenge without
  being caught or punished, but was he ever able to
  forget or forgive what Fortunato did?

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Quote Interpretation

• State one literary elementFlashback- The
  narrator tells the story in the form of a
  flashback. The retelling of the story 50 years
  later may suggest he regrets some of his actions
  and decisions, or it might suggest he is still
  proud of the fact that he got away with it.