montresor killed fortunato in the cask of amontillado.
montresor killed fortunato in the cask of amontillado.
who killed fortunato in the cask of amontillado?
montresor
montresor lures fortunato into a private wine-tasting excursion by telling him he has obtained a pipe (about 130 gallons, 492 litres) of what he believes to be a rare vintage of amontillado. he proposes obtaining confirmation of the pipe's contents by inviting a fellow wine aficionado, luchesi, for a private tasting. montresor knows fortunato will not be able to resist demonstrating his discerning palate for wine and will insist that he taste the amontillado rather than luchesi who, as he claims, "cannot tell amontillado from sherry". fortunato goes with montresor to the wine cellars of the latter's palazzo, where they wander in the catacombs. montresor offers wine (first médoc, then de grave) to fortunato in order to keep him inebriated. montresor warns fortunato, who has a bad cough, of the dampness, and suggests they go back, but fortunato insists on continuing, claiming that he "shall not die of a cough". during their walk, montresor mentions his family coat of arms: a golden foot in a blue background crushing a snake whose fangs are embedded in the foot's heel, with the motto "nemo me impune lacessit" ("no one attacks me with impunity").
the cask of amontillado
though fortunato is presented as a connoisseur of fine wine, l. moffitt cecil of texas christian university argues that his actions in the story make that assumption questionable. for example, fortunato comments on another nobleman being unable to distinguish amontillado from sherry when amontillado is in fact a type of sherry, and treats de grave, an expensive french wine, with very little regard by drinking it in a single gulp. cecil also states that a true wine connoisseur would never sample wine while intoxicated and describes fortunato as merely an alcoholic. cecil also suggests that some people might feel fortunato deserved to be buried alive for wasting a bottle of fine wine.
the cask of amontillado