The Cask of Amontillado

“The Cask of Amontillado”
Author	Edgar Allan Poe
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre(s)	Horror Fiction
Publication date	November 1846

“The Cask of Amontillado” is a 1846 short horror story wrote by Edgar Allan Poe.

Plot

“The Cast of Amontillado” begins by recounting the last meeting between two aristocratic gentlemen, the narrator Montresor, and the wine connoisseur Fortunato. Montresor is plotting his revenge for the thousand injuries Fortunato did to him. While at the pre-Lenten festival, Montresor tells Fortunato that he has in his possession a cast of amontillado sherry and does not feel as though it is authentic. Montresor leads Fortunato deep underground to his family catacombs in his palazzo. Although Fortunato has a cough from the nitre, he continues so his rival Luchresi does not steal his opportunity to taste the wine. Once they get into the catacombs Montresor chains him to the wall and begins to use a trowel and fresh mortar to entomb Fortunato.

Characters

Montresor

He is the narrator of the story. He's a fascinating and nuanced character whose desire for vengeance drives the plot. His family motto is Nemo me impune lacessit, which translates to "no one insults me with impunity," which explains his motivation for murdering his friend.

Fortunato

His name means "fortunate". He is Montresor's Italian friend who is completely oblivious to his friend's revenge motive. It isn't until Montresor locks him in a crypt and begins to brick him in that Fortunato finally realizes he's been tricked. He is the antagonist of the story and loves vintage wines and carnival attire.

Luchresi

Even though Luchresi isn't a key character in the story, he is still talked about. Luchesi is Fortunato's wine-tasting opponent. Montresor doesn't need to bring up Luchresi in order to entice Fortunato to his doom. The prospect of Amontillado is sufficient enough. For Montresor, Luchresi is a type of insurance.

Major Themes

Montresor seeks revenge on Fortunato because he feels as if he has insulted him but the reason is unidentified in the short story "The Cask of the Amontillado.