Suspense

How does one create suspense?  Poe creates suspense in "The Cask of Amontillado" through very careful techniques which many have studies over the years but which only a few have mastered.

Mysteries, horror films, thrillers and tales of all sorts over the years have employed Poe's techniques to create suspense, but it is difficult to find an earlier master.  Some could argue that some of Shakespear's tragedies hint at suspense, Othello, Macbeth, etc. but in reality the end is known from the beginning and he continued to employ the techniques of Greeks.

Fortunato

Here is a wonderful article about Fortunato.  Fortunato means fortunate or lucky.  However in "The Cask of Amontillado" he turns out to be about the most unlucky fellow around.  He has slighted and made an enemy of Montresor and because of this he is buried alive. 

But the question is, what did he do?  Did it deserve death?  Did it merit gasping out his last breaths in agony and lonely despair?  The story doesn't tell us.

Summary of The Cask of Amontillado

This link to a summary of "The Cask of Amontillado" deserves its own page.  After all, if you are going to create a link to a page then you really ought to put that link on its own page, right?

Montresor

Montresor in "The Cask of Amontillado" is a really scary guy.  Some would suggest that he was justified.  Some would suggest that Fortunato deserved it.  I don't know about any of that.  But burying your enemy alive in your basement is not the kind of thing that normal people do, no matter their motives.