The Cask of Amontillado

Multiple Choice

1. A (Paragraph 1)

2. D (Paragraphs 7-20)

3. A (All paragraphs)

4. B (Various paragraphs)

5. A (Various paragraphs)

6. C (Paragraphs 37-40, 53-54)

7. D (Various paragraphs)

8. C (Various paragraphs)

Long Answer

1.  The main character, Montresor, seeks revenge against Fortunato for some unspecified insult. His anger over this insult seems to consume his life, as he spends months or years plotting his revenge and waiting for the perfect opportunity to lure Fortunato into the catacombs. The action of the story, which probably takes place in less than an hour, represents the fruits of Montresor’s labor of vengeance. (All paragraphs)

2. “The Cask of Amontillado” produces a single effect: horror. The first paragraph of the story introduces an unstable narrator who has reacted with rage to some undefined insult from an acquaintance. Montresor’s gleeful recounting of how he lured Fortunato into the catacombs to enact his elaborate revenge—and Fortunato’s inability to sense the danger—gradually builds on this horror, and the gloomy, morbid setting of the catacombs contributes to the singular mood. Montresor’s utter lack of remorse at the end of the story sustains the horror through the last sentence. (All paragraphs)