Poe The Cask of Amontillado 1 .pptx - “THE CASK OF...

“THE CASK
OF
AMONTILLA
DO”
Edgar Allan Poe
Image: Rijin / CC BY-SA ()

EDGAR ALLAN POE
 Poe (1809-1949), “father of the detective story,” was a
talented writer of prose and poetry, as well as a well-known
literary critic and editor (“Edgar”).

According to the article “Edgar Allen Poe, ”His imaginative
storytelling and tales of mystery and horror gave birth to
the modern detective story. ”
 Poe’s works contained gothic elements that often dealt with
psychological thrillers, horror, and mystery. For example,
“The Pit and the Pendulum” deals with the psychological
horror of impending death as an unnamed prisoner of the
Spanish Inquisition awaits the slicing of knife-edged
pendulum; the bound prisoner narrates the psychological
horror he experiences as the sharp pendulum swings closer
and closer.

“The Cask of Amontillado” is a horror story with elements of
Dark Romanticism. Poe’s story focuses on the psychological
state of the insulted narrator Montresor, whose vengeful
actions towards his unsuspecting “friend” cause Fortunato
to become increasingly horrified in the deep macabre
catacombs as he is surrounded by skeletons.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
Poe: “The boundaries which
divide life from death are at
best shadowy and vague.
Who shall say where the one
ends, and where the other
begins?”

“THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO”
 Consider the motivation for Montresor’s actions: “The thousand injuries of
Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I
vowed revenge. You, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose,