Tuesday, October 27, 2015

What three hints does Montresor give to Fortunato on what he intends to do in Edgar Allen Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado"?

The first hint of Montresor's plan is when he
says:



You are
rich, respected, admired, beloved; you are happy as once I
was.



Clearly, if Fortunato
were paying attention, Montresor is pointing out that he no longer is happy like
Fortunato, undoubtedly because of the insults he has endured from
Fortunato.


Later, Montresor discusses his family's coat
of arms - a huge foot crushing the snake who bit it in the heel along with a motto
above.  When Fortunato asks the motto, Montresor says it is "Nemo me impune lacessit",
which means  - Noone attacks me with impunity.  Again Montresor is hinting that
something bad is to happen to Fortunato.


Finally, Fortunato
give him a sign of the Masons.  When Montresor doesn't react to it and Fortunato asks
him if he is a Mason and to give him a sign of such, Montresor pulls out a
trowell.



"A
sign," he said.


"It is this," I answered, producing a
trowel from beneath the folds of my roquelaire.


"You jest,"
he exclaimed, recoiling a few paces. "But let us proceed to the
Amontillado."



Clearly this
play on words is intentional and offers yet another hint of Fortunato's fate, but the
man is too drunk or too unaware to pick up on the pun.

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