Lesson 1 L/O: To develop understanding of the plot

and characters

IB LEARNER PROFILE – KNOWLEDGABLE

THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO

EDGER ALLEN POE
ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY

Summarise the Summarise the Summarise

plot in 50 plot in 25 the plot in 10
words words words

Summarise the plot in 1

word
 WRITE YOUR ONE WORD ON
COOABORATION SPACE
Do these words encapsulate the text thoroughly?
SUMMARY

"The Cask of Amontillado" is a short story by Edgar Allan

Poe, first published in the November 1846 issue of Godey's
Lady's Book. The story is set in a nameless European city in
an unspecified year (possibly sometime during the
eighteenth century) and concerns the deadly revenge taken
by the narrator on a friend who he claims has insulted him.
Like several of Poe's stories, and in keeping with the 19th-
century fascination with the subject, the narrative revolves
around a person being buried alive – in this case, by
immurement.
PLOT
Set-up -> Problem/Incident -> Rising Action -> Climax -> Falling Action ->
Resolution

Can you
identify the
different parts
of the plot?
The walls of the damp vaults are covered with nitre Apparently
Fortunato goes to the back of the
agravated by the nitre, Fortunato begins to cough. The narrator offers to
recess, and Montresor chains Fortunato
bring Fortunato back home; however, Fortunato refuses and accepts
to a stone. He begins to wall up the
wine as the antidote to his cough. The men continue to explore the deep
entrance to the small crypt. Fortunato
vaults, which are filled with the dead bodies of the Montresor family.
screams, then moans (terrified,
Fortunato claims to have forgotten Montresor’s family coat of arms.
helpless).
Fortunato makes a Masons hand movement and Montresor claims to be
a Mason. When Fortunato asks for proof, Montressor shows him his
trowel). They walk into a crypt where human bones decorate three of the
four walls. On the exposed wall is a small recess. Montressor tells
Fortunato that this is where the wine is being stored. Fortunato laughs as if
Montresor is playing a
joke, then cries out “For
the love of God,
Montresor!” Montresor
finishes walling up the
entrance.
The narrator, Montresor, opens the
story. He states that he has been
irreparably insulted by an
aquaintance, Fortunato, and seeks
revenge. He wants to exact revenge
in a measured way and without
placing himself at risk. The narrator
decides to use Fortunato’s love of During the carnival season, Montresor approaches Montresor claims his
wine against him. Fortunato. He tells Fortunato that he has acquired heart felt sick because of
something that could pass for Amontillado. He says that the damp. It is revealed
if Fortunato is too busy, he will ask a man named that no has has disturbed
Luchesi to taste it. Fortunato is anxious to taste the wine. Fortunato’s body in fifty
They go to Montresor’s vaults.. years.
CRITICAL THINKING

Describe Fortunato. Do
readers have any
sympathy for him? Do
readers have more
sympathy for Montresor?
Justify your response. Describe Montresor’s
character. Before you do,
reread the beginning of
the story again, paying
attention to the first
paragraph.
Analyse Luchesi’s
importance in the story.
He’s a minor character
whom we never meet, yet
he is significant.
CHARACTER STUDY
GROUP 1 - FORTUNATO GROUP 2 - MONTRESOR

You have 10 minutes to annotate the text using

skills of inference and deduction to interpret what
we learn about your character.
You will feedback to other groups– each member of
the group must have one quote to share, explaining
how it gives an understanding of the character.
Do you notice any difference in
the kind of language the two
used? Does the difference
reflect the kind of character
they are?