Student: Maria Bianca Babas

Year: BSED-English 3-1

Assignment: Read “The Cask of Amontillado.” See the instructional material for the short

story.

1. How does Montresor get Fortunato to come with him to his vaults? What is Montresor’s

motive for leading Fortunato there?

Montresor persuaded Fortunato to come with him to his vaults by telling the latter that

he should have a taste of the Amontillado and verify its quality in his newly bought cask and

even used Luchesi’s name, his rival to wine connoisseurship, to convince him more.

Montresor did this under pretense as he is planning to harm his friend because of the latter’s

insults to him.

2. What kind of relationship does Montresor have with the people who take care of his

home? What does this reveal about him?

From the narrative, it shows that his relationship with the people who take care of his

home is plainly alike to master – slave. This reveals that Montresor’s affection as a human

being is nonexistent, at least in the context where he stands in a higher ground than the

others. He also appears to be manipulative in character.

3. Describe the conversation between Montresor and Fortunato as they walk in the

catacombs. What is ironic about Montresor’s concern for Fortunato’s health?

 The jester, Fortunato, has been coughing that one time it was hard for him to reply to

Montresor. Montresor, on the other hand, keeps asking if they should return from the

catacombs because Fortunato’s health doesn’t seem to grant them peace of mind, and that’s

ironic when he knows himself that he plans to murder his friend in the end.

4. Describe Fortunato’s state of mind as Montresor walls in the entrance to the niche.

Include details from the story in your answer.

Montresor’s friend was dumbfounded that he couldn’t react to the real situation right. It

is evident when in the excerpt: "The Amontillado!" ejaculated my friend, not yet recovered

from his astonishment. Later, he seems to feel fear now but as he’s still astonished by his

friend, he foolishly verifies that what Montresor’s been doing is a part of a big fat joke when

it’s clear that it’s not. "Ha! ha! ha! --he! he! he! --a very good joke, indeed --an excellent jest.

We will have many a rich laugh about it at the palazzo --he! he! he! --over our wine --he! he!

he!"

5. How does Montresor feel about what he has done? In your response, consider why he

might be telling the story after so many years.

Although Montresor hesitated amidst the act, he doesn’t seem to feel any regret or

remorse after his evil deed. If anything, he’s probably proud of what he did. After all, he’s

highly likely to brag about it, since his family, The Montresors, live by the words, "Nemo me

impune lacessit,” which translates to “No one attacks me with impunity,” and he believes

Fortunato, with his insults, has committed that crime to him.

6. In your opinion, did Montresor commit the perfect crime? Explain.

 At the latter part of the narrative, he said “For the half of a century no mortal has

disturbed them.” Grounding on that line, he HAS committed the perfect crime. Fifty years

went by and Montresor, during that time, continued to be a murdered walking on the face of

the earth without shackles.

7. Might the story be better or worse if you know what Fortunato did or said to make

Montresor take such terrible revenge? Explain.

The story might have been worse, yes, if the narrative shed light on Montresor’s fault.

There is a question at the back of my head all the while reading, “What did he say exactly

that made Montresor want to murder him?” However, this doesn’t wear off my stand that

Montresor is a terrible human. No matter what the insults Fortunato threw to him are, to

take a life as redress is too much. An intellectual should be able to realize that much.

8. Do you believe that Montresor resolves his conflict with Fortunato? Why or why not?

What else could Montresor have done to solve his problem?

Not at all. Montresor didn’t resolve his conflict with Fortunato by murdering him, rather,

he tampered it with another conflict. Despite the fact that it became an earthed conflict, his

memories will prevail. Hopefully, his conscience, too. Since Montresor called Fortunato

“friend” himself, he could have chosen a peaceful and more constructive conversation with

him.

9. In your opinion, why did Poe choose to write from the first-person point of view,

describing only Montresor’s thoughts and not Fortunato’s?

 In my opinion, Poe wrote it in the point of view of the murderer Montresor to give us

conflict who to think is more on the wrong. Due to not knowing what terrible deed

Fortunato has possibly done that rendered him to become a murder target, readers will

think, “He probably did something evil!” But this is just to mess up our moral stance, when in

fact, taking one’s life sounds more evil.

10. What theme, or perception about life or human nature, does Poe communicate in this

story?

The story reflects not only the vengeful nature of humans but also the complexities.

Montresor’s character shows that. At one point, he seems to be caring for his friend, then

he’s after murdering him as truth, then he’s hesitating in the middle of committing the

crime, then he’s proud of the impeccability of his crime at the end of the narrative. Human

nature is really beyond our understanding.