Saturday, September 19, 2015

In "The Cask of Amontillado," how does Fortunato knowing so much about wine benefit Montresor's plan to kill him?

Montresor's plan to enact his revenge against Fortunato makes use of his wine cellar as the scene of the murder.  To lure Fortunato away from the crowds gathered for Carnival, Montresor claims to have what he thinks is a bottle of amontillado, a Spanish sherry, hidden away in the depths beneath his ancestral home.  Montresor claims to be uncertain about whether or not it is really amontillado to pique Fortunato's interest because he knows that Fortunato is proud of "his connoisseurship in wine" and will want to taste it.  As they descend the many steps among the catacombs, Montresor keeps plying Fortunato with wine, knowing that when he becomes intoxicated he will be easier to overpower and entomb.  Fortunato's interest in wine, therefore, is the lever that Montresor is able to use against him.

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