The Cask of Amontillado Group

Question:

taco30
taco30
Student
High School - 10th Grade

In "The Cask of Amontillado," why didn't Fortunato fight back?

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Posted by taco30 on Tuesday June 3, 2008 at 1:34 AM and tagged with characters, fortunato, plot.


Answers:


  1. amy-lepore Teacher
    High School - 12th Grade

    I think you want to know why Fortunato allowed himself to be bricked into a wall. The answer is simple: he was drunk and curious...not necessarily in that order. They kept drinking wine, if you will recall, which deadens the ability to process. He knew Montressor had a cask of rare wine...Amontillado...and Fortunato wanted more than anything to see it. When people are driven by a single desire, they tend to ignore warnings from the subconscious. It is not until Fortunato walks into the recess of the catacombs to look for the casket to which the bones on the floor might belong that he is suddenly pounced upon and chained to the wall. Even then, he seems to think that Montressor is joking. It is really not until the last few bricks are laid in place that Fortunato (dig the irony in that name) realizes that his "friend" is not joking and that he is doomed to die in that horrid place. Gives whole new meaning to the old adage, "curiosity killed the cat."

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    Posted by amy-lepore on Tuesday June 3, 2008 at 1:22 PM

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