Sona Xiong – Fortunato and the Cask of the Amontillado

Being buried alive has always been a fear and a fascination for me, and Edgar Allen Poe has featured many stories that include people being buried alive. My favorite is Cask of the Amontillado which features a man taking revenge by burying someone who he claims has insulted him. So unlike his other story with life buried, this one is over revenge with an unclear motive that has me wondering what it is about.

Montresor is the head of the Montresor family. We can see the family the decline hinted by the fact that his servant refuses to listen to him. Fortunato is the unfortunate soul who had insulted the wrong person as we can see him being buried alive.  Montresor’s plan to lure Fortunato was amazing which he had to act, but we can see how he warns Fortunato, first by bringing him to a catacomb, a place where the dead sleep, the motto, and the crest. I want to write the story from Fortunato’s point of view.

Why do I want to write the story from Fortunato’s point of view, he is an interesting character. He is probably not from a big family like Montresor, but he feels like he has more power, and might be hinting at the capitalist taking over power from the old nobles. Secondly, I do want to explore the motive that Montresor might have, a scene from Fortunato where he does the thing that cost him his life. I want to see from the sources

Poe, Edgar  Allen. “The Cask of Amontillado .” Godey’s Lady’s Book, vol. 33, Louis Antoine Godey, Philadelphia, PA, 1846, pp. 216–218

This is the source Text I chose because I find it interesting that it was first published in a lady book which I thought the more Puritan culture of the 19th century might not allow women to read about such a “gruesome” topic. Also, it is the first version published.

The following Edition has the Illustration of Immurement the punishment of live entombment, because that is the main focus of the story.

There is another piece analysis on a comic version cask of the Amontillado here.