Response and Analysis
Reading Check
| 1. | What does Montresor admit is his motive for this crime? |
| 2. | According to Montresor, what makes a perfect crime? |
| 3. | According to Montresor, what kind of person is Fortunato? |
| 4. | How does Montresor lure Fortunato farther and farther into the catacombs? |
| 5. | What evidence suggests that Montresor has committed the perfect crime? |
Thinking Critically
| 6. | How would you describe the persona that Poe has created for Montresor? Why might Poe have chosen someone like Montresor to tell his story? |
| 7. | What character traits in Fortunato make him fall prey to Montresor? |
| 8. | In your opinion, what is Montresor thinking when he says, “In pace requiescat”? Explain your interpretation. |
| 9. | To whom could Montresor be talking, fifty years after the murder, and for what reasons? |
| 10. | Montresor’s voice—the way he speaks and his tone—is frequently ironic. Which of Montresor’s comments to the unsuspecting Fortunato mean something different from what they seem to mean? |
| 11. | Think about whether or not Montresor is an unreliable narrator. Do any details suggest that he might have imagined “the thousand injuries” and the insult—or even the whole story? Can you find evidence in the story to support Montresor’s claim that Fortunato did in fact injure and insult him? To support your answers, consider Montresor’s actions, statements, and voice. |
| 12. | Think about Poe’s decision to set his story during carnival. What is ironic about the setting? In what ways does the setting suit the plot of the story? |
Extending and Evaluating
| 13. | Is this just a gripping horror story told only for entertainment, or do you think it reveals some truth about people who are consumed by a desire for revenge? Give reasons for your opinions. (Be sure to check your Quickwrite notes.) |
WRITING
Fortunato’s Version
Suppose this story were told from Fortunato’s first-person
point of view. Write a new beginning. Start at
the point where the two men meet at dusk, and end when they
begin their journey underground. Let the reader know what
Fortunato thinks of Montresor. Is he guilty of the thousand
injuries and the insult that Montresor refers to? Create an
individual voice for Fortunato (one that is different
from Montresor’s) by giving him a distinct tone and
style of speaking. For example, is he frank, confused, or
overconfident?
Crime and Punishment
Suppose the person to whom Montresor is telling his story
has turned him over to the police. Montresor’s lawyer
will argue that he is insane. The prosecution will argue that
Montresor knew exactly what he was doing and that he even
planned the murder in advance. Write a speech for either
lawyer, and argue your case before your classmates.
