Special Sub-Topic: "The Cask of Amontillado" by E.A. Poe Click Here To Play: "The Cask of Amontillado" by E.A. Poe

How many injuries has the narrator 'permitted' from Fortunato?

a thousand. "A thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge." This wasn't meant to be a trick question, honest! ;-) This is the first line of the story, and it is from here on that we learn exactly what Fortunato has done to insult the narrator and how he plans his revenge.

Poe always liked to do things "at length". The same is true with the narrator in this story. He knows of Fortunato's weakness and uses it to his advantage. What is this weakness?

his own ego. His "connoisseurship of wine", to be exact. Fortunato felt that he was the best wine taster in all of Italy, and the narrator already knows about this, so he plays on Fortunato's ego to get what he wants. We'll find out the results later.

When the narrator first saw Fortunato at the carnival, what was his condition?

he was drunk. He greeted the narrator "with excessive warmth" due to the fact that he was completely drunk. Now the narrator moves in with his plot for revenge!

As soon as the narrator sees Fortunato, he tells him that he has received "a pipe for what passes for Amontillado, and I have my doubts". Who does the narrator suggest that he is going to see to find out if the wine is genuine?

Luchesi. "Luchesi cannot tell Amontillado from Sherry" is Fortunato's annoyed response to the narrator's suggestion. Fortunato suggests that they go to the narrator's vaults and then he will be able to taste-test the Amontillado...or so he thinks.

The narrator's vaults were very damp due to the fact that they were encrusted with what?

nitre. Fortunato has a bit of a cold, and the narrator pretends to be kind in suggesting that he shouldn't go to the vaults due to the nitre. He knows that Fortunato will dismiss the cold as nothing, making it easier for the narrator to continue with his plan. This is exactly what happens. We Italians are a stubborn bunch, aren't we? :-D

What is the motto of the Montresor family?

Nemo me impune lacessit. "Nemo me impune lacessit" literally means "No one provokes me with impunity". That's quite fitting for the narrator's nature, don't you think so?

True or false: Montresor's vault was lined with human remains.

t. In the fashion of the great catacombs of Paris, Montresor's ancestors were buried (or not buried) in the vault along the wall. But some of the bones had been thrown down over time, and they wound up on the floor of the vault and stayed there.

As the two men were walking down into the vault, Montresor stated that the cask was in a cave at the end of the vault. Fortunato, we are aware, is still completely drunk. What does Montresor do to keep Fortunato in the cave of the vault?

chains him to the wall. This is the most suspenseful part of this story. Montresor, after chaining Fortunato to the wall, starts to wall him up in the cave...one row at a time. After a short time, Fortunato recovers enough from his drunkenness that he realizes what's going on.

How many tiers (or rows) of stone did Montresor have to lay in order to wall Fortunato up in the cave?

11 or 12. From the wording, it is unclear whether the 11th tier was the final one, or whether there was another on top of it. All of the sudden Fortunato started laughing and saying it was an excellent jest. He suggested they now go, and Monstresor responded, "Yes, let us be gone." Then came the immortal words: "FOR THE LOVE OF GOD MONTRESOR!" "Yes, for the love of GOD!" Fortunato finally got it - after all that time.

How long has it been that no one has disturbed Fortunato's bones?

Half a century. In pace requiescat! I hope you enjoyed the quiz!