The Cask of the Amtillado

In the 20 years of Poe’s writing career, he wrote more than 400 stories, poems, and critical reviews. “All we see or seem is but a dream within a dream” “Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary” “Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality”

 Poe’s biological mother and father were both travelling actors  His father deserted the family very early in Poe’s infancy  Poe’s mother died before he was the age of three  The wealthy Allan family took Poe in as a foster child and raised him into young adulthood.  Poe was very intelligent and athletic throughout high school  Mr. Allen didn’t approve of Poe’s literary ambitions and once he was caught gambling cut him of altogether.

 Poe is known as the father of the horror and gothic genres.  We come across these genres on a nearly daily basis.  Horror films  Suspense, mystery  Stephen King  Goosebumps  Scream Queens  What else can you come up with?

The Mysterious Death of… Death Theories #1 Death Theories #2 Another good website!

The Cask of the Amontillado  Thought to be one of the most significant of Poe’s stories.  Wanted to “reveal the dark truths found within the depths of humanity”  Set in Italian catacombs, where the dead are buried and also where fine wine, such as Amontillado, is stored