1. “The Cask of Amontillado”
Edgar Allan Poe

2. Edgar Allan Poe
Mini Bio

3. Edgar Allan Poe *macabre: gruesome, horrifying
Developed characters whose sanity is questionable.
Father of “the short story”
Master of the Macabre
*macabre: gruesome, horrifying

4. Edgar Allan Poe Bio Most of his stories deal with death and murder.
He adapted stories from actual news headlines to create gothic tales.
His poem “The Raven” is his most highly acclaimed work

5. Edgar Allan Poe Bio
it was said that Poe died of "congestion of the brain."
Actual cause of death is up for debate (alcohol, drugs, rabies, epilepsy, carbon monoxide poisoning, etc.

6. Behind the Story Poe had a real fear of being buried alive
After reading Poe’s work, a Russian inventor created a device that allowed “deceased” to ring a bell so that people would hear it
Think about this as we read “Cask of Amontillado”

7. References in “Cask of Amontillado”

8. Carnival

9. Carnival (Carn + Val) FLESH (Meat) + FAREWELL
Carnival is a secular (non-religious) holiday, but it evolved from the Christian observance known as Lent.
Lent is a solemn forty-day period of fasting prior to Easter.
No eating meat
No having fun
Before participating in lent, people have fun one last time.

12. European Carnival traditions survive in the United States in the form of Mardi Gras.

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

14. Palazzo
a large residence
a palace
a mansion

15. Fine Wine (vintages)
Cask of Wine

16. Nitre is a potassium nitrate salt.
“…but observe the white webwork which gleams from the these cavern walls.”
Nitre encrusted on an ancient jar
an ancient vault or catacomb

17. A Flagon is a vase or decanter used to store wine or liquor.
A Trowel is a hand tool used to lay bricks and build walls.

18. MASONS Two definitions:
A member of the fraternity of Freemasons, a worldwide fraternal organization OR
One whose occupation is to build with stone or brick; also, one who prepares stone for building purposes.
Symbol for the Freemasons

19. THE FAMILY ARMS
“A huge foot d’or, in a field azure; the foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs are imbedded in the heal.”
FAMILY MOTTO
“Nemo me impune lacessit” Translation: “No one provokes me with impunity” or “No one attacks me and gets away with it.”

20. In “The Cask of Amontillado”…
The narrator plans for his revenge to take place in the catacombs beneath his estate.
What are catacombs?

21. Catacombs: Cities of the Dead

23. Paris Catacombs Beneath the city Bones of 5 to 6 million people
Starting from the late 18th century

24. Paris Catacombs
The bones are piled around in heaps that line the walls. Some of the bones are in gigantic stacks.
Some bones are fashioned into macabre configurations: A cross made from femurs

25. Why Catacombs? overcrowding disease overflowing cemeteries
Proper burial became impossible.
Stench/decay brought disease

26. Catacombs & the Wealthy
It was not unusual for wealthy to have catacombs under their estates.
They could place the remains of their own family members here.

27. Visiting the Catacombs
It is possible for one to take a tour of the catacombs today.
First, you walk down a long tunnel. . .
And then you see. . .

30. As we read we will be analyzing…
Setting: the time and place Mood: atmosphere that the author creates Tone: attitude an author takes towards the subject Imagery: when an author paints a picture with words (5 senses) Plot: the chain of events in a story

31. Let us begin reading!