STAGE2This ungraded summary is for the teacher’s use onlyand should not be given to students.118The Pit and thePendulumand Other StoriesEdgar Allan PoeIntroductionBackground to the storiesEdgar Allen Poe was born in America in 1809 anddied in 1849. He wrote stories and poems of mystery,horror, death and madness all his adult life. He wrotethe first detective story, The Murders in the RueMorgue, that shows how a detective thinks.Before readingHere are some ways to help your students approachthe story:1Give students the title of the book and show themthe picture on the cover. Ask them to try and guesswhat kind of story it is.2Ask the students to read the text on the back coverof the book, and the story introduction on the firstpage. Then ask them a few questions about thestory, or use the Before Reading Activities in theback of each Bookworm.3Use the pre-reading activity in this worksheet.4If there is a recording of this title, play the first fewpages and stop at an interesting point.The storiesThis collection is made up of five short stories by EdgarAllen Poe, the master of mystery and suspense.The Pit and the Pendulum.This story is set in Spainduring the Spanish Inquisition. A man finds himself ina pitch black room with a pit in the middle. For days helives in fear of falling into the pit and dying, or beingkilled by the pendulum that is slowing coming closerto him. At the final moment, as he is about to fall intothe pit, he is rescued by the French Army.The Cask of Amontillado.This is about punishinga rival who has been cruel. The writer tempts his oldfriend into his cellars with the promise of some finewine, knowing that he won’t be able to resist. As theygo deeper into the cellars they taste many wines alongthe way, but always with the promise of the finest atthe end. But, the writer has an evil plan and buries his
