"The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe
1. The storyteller is Montresor ("my treasure" in French), and his enemy is Fortunato. In what ways is Poe being ironic with their names?
2. Montresor is telling of a crime how many years after its occurrence?
3. To whom is he talking? (A) himself (B) a policeman (C) no one (D) a priest (Explain)
4. Outline (list) Montresor's standards for a well-done revenge.
5. Give your analysis point-by-point regarding the success or failure of Montresor's revenge? Does Montresor's dropping a torch into Fortunato's cubicle make the revenge more or less successful?
6. Montresor's family coat of arms would lead one to predict the defeat of whom? (A) Montresor (B) Fortunato (C) both
7. What happens at the end when Fortunato falls silent? (A) Montresor has won his revenge (B) Fortunato has spoken through silence
8. What sentence in the last paragraph (like "take thy beak from out my heart" in "The Raven") injects the metaphorical and emblematical into the story and changes everything? Is the narrator's reason for his sickness believable--or an excuse?
9. Between Fortunato and Montresor, which will rest in peace?