1. “The cask of amontillado”
By edgar allan poe

2. Day one
Pre-reading

3. activator: Personal connection
Has anyone ever done anything to you that made you want to get revenge on him or her? What did s/he do?
Have you ever gotten revenge on someone for something s/he did to you? What did you do to him or her in return? Why did you feel a need to get revenge?
Explain how the revenge made you feel. Did you get caught? If you had gotten caught, would that have changed the feeling the revenge gave you? Explain.

4. Building background
Centuries ago, Christians in Italy buried their dead in catacombs—long, winding underground tunnels.
Dark and cool, these chambers were also suitable for the storage of fine wines, such as amontillado.
Amontillado is a pale, dry Sherry or a type of wine.

5. Building background, cont.
Poe’s story is set during carnival, which is celebrated before the start of Lent, the season during which Christians give up various pleasures.
During carnival, many people wear costumes and dance in the streets.

6. Day one
Post reading

7. setting The setting of this story is in Italy, during the early 1800s.
More specifically, the story takes place during carnival season, at night in the Montresor family catacombs.

8. characterization
The protagonist of the story is Montresor, and the antagonist is fortunato.
Even though Montresor isn’t a “Hero,” he is still the main character, and he is in conflict with fortunato (man vs. man).
Both Montresor and fortunato are round and static characters.

9. Point of view First person point of view is used throughout the story.
Montresor is the narrator; we know his thoughts only, not Fortunato’s.
As a first person narrator, Montresor May be an unreliable narrator, one who does not always tell the truth.
He Doesn’t explain the “insult”
He Might have pangs of conscience.

10. Mood, tone, and foreshadowing
The mood is suspenseful, while the tone is very eerie and horrifying.
foreshadowing builds up both the mood and tone.
The descent into the catacombs and references to the skeletons.
Montresor calls himself a mason and shows fortunato his trowel.
The Montresor family motto is “no one attacks me with impunity.”
These examples of foreshadowing make readers anxious about what Montresor is going to do. They are clues that he is planning something horrible for fortunato, filling the reader with dread.

11. symbolism
Montresor’s coat of arms symbolizes his revenge against Fortunato’s insult.
Fortunato’s fool costume symbolizes his foolishness and greed.

12. Irony: fortunato’s name
His name is ironic because he is not fortunate in his interactions with Montresor, which lead to his death.
His death is the opposite of what we might expect for someone whose name implies good luck or fortune.

13. More irony
Dramatic irony: fortunato doesn’t know he will be killed, but the reader does.
Verbal irony: Montresor compliments fortunato and implores him to turn back.

14. Summarizer: Graphic organizer
Find an example of dramatic irony and verbal irony from “the cask of amontillado.”
Use the provided graphic organizer to fill in the following information:
Quote
Paraphrase
Explanation of how quote shows irony

15. Day two

16. Activator: making connections
Respond to the following:
You’ve probably heard the term “Goth” or “gothic” before. “Gothic fashion” is something you may see on a regular basis in high school, “Gotham city” is the setting of Batman’s adventures, and “Gothic Architecture” was very popular during the medieval era, especially in cathedrals and churches. What do you think “gothic” means? What do you think are the characteristics of the “gothic”?

17. Gothic literature
Gothic literature is designed to thrill readers by providing mystery and blood-curdling accounts of villainy, murder, and the supernatural.
the conventions of gothic literature include ancient buildings, a gloomy atmosphere, darkness, death, decay, and madness.

18. Gothic images in “the cask of amontillado”
What do think are some gothic images in “the cask of amontillado”?

19. Choose one of the following options to complete (with a partner) in order to examine, analyze, and depict the gothic elements of “the cask of amontillado.”
Create a plot diagram for the story including all five plot points. In addition to explaining each point, draw and color a gothic image for that section of the text.
Create a movie poster for the story. On your poster, you should draw and color a large gothic image from the text, a quote from the story that captures the gothic atmosphere, and the story’s title.
Create a 10 panel comic strip of the story. You should include the major events of the story and capture the gothic setting and atmosphere. Make sure it’s colorful and creative.
Create a new coat of arms for the Montresor family. In each of the four sections, draw and color a different gothic image from the story. Be sure to still include the motto: “no one attacks me with impunity.”

20. summarizer: ticket out the door
Answer the following questions in order to summarize our learning for today’s lesson:
What is the theme of “the cask of amontillado”?
How do the gothic elements of “the cask of amontillado” help to develop the theme of the story?