The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe

“…but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge “…but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge.” “The Cask of Amontillado” is the narrator’s account of his ability to carry out a chilling plot of revenge against his offender.

“I must not only punish but punish with impunity.” Careful planning in the time, place, and setting of his revenge allows the narrator both the pay back he seeks and the freedom from punishment he demands.

Carnival

Carnival Carnival is a secular holiday, but it evolved from the Christian observance known as Lent. Lent is a solemn forty-day period of fasting prior to Easter.

CARNIVAL Traditionally, the fasting during Lent involves abstaining from eating meat. Modern interpretations of fasting may involve abstaining from anything one enjoys.

Carnival comes from Carnelevare carne lavare FLESH (Meat) + TO REMOVE= The removal of meat In anticipation of the seriousness of Lent, the celebration of Carnival evolved. Participants engage in excessive and extreme behavior to bid farewell to meat-eating (and merriment).

What happens during Carnival? Carnival is a time of EXCESS and INDULGENCE. BINGEING upon food and alcohol is common.

Partying in the streets and masquerading are enjoyed.

The combination of alcohol and costumes creates an atmosphere where people tend to let down their inhibitions.

European Carnival traditions survive in the United States in the form of Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras literally means fat Tuesday in French. Celebrated the day before Ash Wednesday, which is the beginning of Lent.

“The Cask of Amontillado” is set during the “supreme madness” of Carnival. In such a riotous atmosphere, it is easy to see how a crime could go unnoticed.

Circa 1700-1800 Lifestyles of the Rich

The wealthy class enjoyed indulgences such as Gemmary: the science of gems

Painting and Art Appreciation

Palazzos (mansions)

Fine Wine (vintages)

The narrator plans for his revenge to take place in the catacombs beneath his estate. What are catacombs?

Catacombs: Underground Cemetery

At a certain point in European history, catacombs, underground burial chambers, became a viable alternative to cemeteries.

Catacombs are characterized by extensive tunnels leading to chambers or recesses where the dead lay to rest for eternity. The wealthy had large catacombs beneath their estates, so that many generations could be laid together.

The narrator of “The Cask of Amontillado” carries out his revenge within the catacombs beneath his palazzo.

The narrator is able to lure his victim into the catacombs with the promise of amontillado, a fine sherry wine.

The “supreme madness” of Carnival aside, why doesn’t the suggestion of a journey to the catacombs for a taste of wine seem odd or suspicious to the victim?

The Storage of Wine

For wines to maintain their best quality, they need to be stored at fairly cool and constant temperatures.

During the time period in which the story is set, modern electric refrigeration was not available. To protect wine collections, connoisseurs adopted the practice of storing wines under the ground where temperatures remain ideal year-round.

Basements, cellars, and even catacombs serve as excellent storage facilities for the precious vintages.

In the catacombs, wine bottles intermingle with the bones of the dead, and here is where the narrator carries out his plan for revenge.