The Cask of Amontilado

Katie Zhang November 27, 2000 Period 3 The Cask of Amontillado ¡°The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge.¡± So begins The Cask of Amontillado, Poe¡¯s horrifying tale of pride and retribution. Told by Monstresor, this story tells of how he lured his friend Fortunato into literally walking into his own grave. From the opening sentence the reader can perceive that Monstresor is proud …

…is just one element of the gothic style. The sinister catacombs and the wicked Monstresor also play a key role in developing this tale of horror. What makes this story even more horrifying is that there is no real violence in the modern definition of the word. Monstresor was vengeful, yet he was very intelligent in his actions to kill Fortunato. Without a doubt, this tale of retribution is one of Poe¡¯s best works.