The Cask of Amontillado

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The Cask of Amontillado

• Edgar Allan Poe
• 1809-1849

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Edgar Allan Poe

• When Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston in 1809.
• His parents were actors in traveling companies
  his father deserted his family and then his
  mother died in 1811.
• Edgar was then taken in by the wealthy and
  childless Allan family of Richmond. Edgar took
  the Allans last name as his middle name.

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Poe in Virginia

• Poes relationship with his stepfather was
  strained, and when Poe began studies at the
  University of Virginia, the wealthy Allan refused
  to support him. Poe turned to gambling, at which
  he found little success.

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• After a short time at the University, Poe moved
  to Boston and began his writing career. He lost
  his first editorial job due to drinking.

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• In 1836 he married his cousin Virginia Clemm,
  who was 13 years old.

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• By all accounts, Edgar and Virginia were very
  much in love. However, in 1842 she began
  coughing blood. Edgar wrote the following
  letter
• "My dear little wife has been dangerously ill.
  About a fortnight since, in singing, she ruptured
  a blood vessel, and it was only on yesterday that
  the physicians gave me any hope of her recovery.
  You might imagine the agony I have suffered, for
  you know how devotedly I love her."

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• In 1846, after losing a series of editorships,
  Poe retreated with his wife to a cottage in
  Fordham, outside of New York City, where they
  nearly starved. There Poe wrote The Cask of
  Amontillado, its gloomy and cynical tone echoing
  Poes own feelings.

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• The Poe biographer William Bittner claims that
  the two characters in the story are two sides of
  the same man Edgar Allan Poe as he saw himself
  while drinking.

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• Virginia died of tuberculosis in 1847. Her
  suffering and dying had a great effect on Poes
  writing.
• He wrote several important pieces during this
  time, but though he tried again to give up on
  drinking, he never succeeded.

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• In the early morning hours of October 7, Poe
  died.
• His cause of death was ascribed to "congestion of
  the brain." No autopsy was performed, and the
  author was buried two days later.
• In dying under such mysterious circumstances, the
  father of the detective story has left us with a
  real-life mystery which Poe scholars, medical
  professionals, and others have been trying to
  solve for over 150 years.

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Among the theories of his death are

• Beating
• Epilepsy
• Heart Failure
• Diabetes
• Rabies
• Murder
• Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

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The Cask of Amontillado
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The Cask of Amontillado

• The Cask of Amontillado was first published in
  November 1846 in a monthly magazine in
  Philadelphia called Godeys Ladys Book. At the
  time, Poe was already nationally known as the
  author of The Raven.

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Gothicism

• Poe is often considered a master of the Gothic
  tale, and The Cask of Amontillado contains many
  of the standard elements of Gothicism.
• Gothic stories are typically set in medieval
  castles and feature mystery, horror, violence,
  ghosts, long underground passages, and dark
  chambers.

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Amontillado

• Amontillado is a type of Spanish wine
• similar to, but not the same as Sherry.

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Catacombs

• A catacomb is an underground cemetery or
  crypt. There are recesses for placing bodies of
  the deceased.
• Here's a picture of a catacomb in Rome, but
  remember that since it's underground, it's not
  usually lit up like this one is.

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Characters

• Montresor narrates the story. He is a wealthy
  Frenchman seeking revenge.
• Fortunato an Italian friend and a competitor of
  Luchesis. He is a connoisseur of fine wine.
• Luchesi an acquaintance of Montressors. He is
  also a wine expert and a rival of Fortunato.

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Point of View

• The story is told in the first person by
  Montresor. Montresors voice is that of
  uninterrupted calm and confidence.

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Setting

• The location and time of the story are only
  vaguely hinted at.
• The story takes place during Carnival (similar to
  Mardi Gras) most likely in the late 1700s.
• This is a time when Christians danced in the
  streets before Lent, when they had to give up
  meat and other pleasures to do penance for their
  sins.

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The Cask of Amontilladopage 233 in your
literature book

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