1. The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe

2. Edgar Allan Poe

3. Edgar Allan Poe • Born 1809 Died 1849 • Orphan at the age of two • Never adopted but lived with a childless couple • Dropped out of college after a gambling debt • Expelled from military training • Made living from selling short stories • Author, not the narrator of the story, “The Cask of Amontillado” • Developed characters whose sanity is questionable • Father of the short story genre

4. Poe Continued • Moved in with his aunt and 12 year old cousin • Virginia (cousin) becomes his wife at age 13 • Poe gained fame for his writing • Virginia dies from Tuberculosis • Poe became depressed and an alcoholic • Most of his stories deal with death, murder, and cannibalism • Remembered for being the first American writers to become a major figure in world lit

6. Amontillado • Sherry wine from the Amontillado Mountains • Only made in Spain

7. Cask • Means a wooden container for storing wine

8. Niter • Potassium Nitrate Salt • Known as saltpeter • Salt of the rock • Minerals that leach through soil • Hangs from ceiling of catacombs

9. Trowel • Hand tool used by brick masons

10. European Carnival

11. Carnival • “Carn” means meat • “Val” means farewell • A secular holiday like Mardi Gras(not religious) • Evolved from the Christian practice of Lent • 40 day fast prior to Easter (giving up something one enjoys) • Traditionally, fasting during Lent involves not eating meat • Anticipation of Lent led to extravagant farewell celebration

12. More on Carnival • Carnival is a time of excess indulgence • Bingeing upon food and alcohol • People partied in the streets • Wore masques (masquerade) • Combination of anonymity and alcohol--- people felt they could get away with …?

13. Catacomb • “Cities of the dead” undergroun d • Sites for Early Christian worship • In the late 18th century, people who could not afford proper burials were dumped there • The wealthy had catacombs under their estates where they buried their own relatives

14. Catacomb

15. More on Catacombs • Wine was often stored in the catacombs • Wine does well where temperatures stay constantly cool year round

17. The Masons • Secret Society – by invite only • Member of the fraternity of Freemasons, a worldwide charitable organization OR…. • One whose occupation is to build with stone or brick

18. Setting • Italy • “It was dusk one evening during the supreme madness of the Carnival.” • A crime could easily go undetected • The narrator plans revenge

19. Fortunato • Haughty wine connoisseur (expert) • His name suggest good fortune or luck Verbal Irony • Dressed up as a jester for carnival (his hat has bells on it that jingle)

20. Luchesi • Not an actual character • Helps drive the plot!

21. Montresor • Monster • Mountain Treasure • Narrator (First person point of view) • Will question his sanity