The Cask of Amontillado (Poe)
"The Cask of Amontillado" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1846. The story is set in an unnamed Italian city during the carnival season and follows the protagonist, Montresor, as he seeks revenge on his friend Fortunato for an unspecified insult.
Montresor lures Fortunato into his wine cellar with the promise of a rare and valuable wine called Amontillado. Fortunato, a wine connoisseur, is eager to taste the wine and follows Montresor deep into the cellar.
As they descend further into the cellar, Montresor plies Fortunato with more wine, causing him to become increasingly intoxicated. Eventually, they reach a small, dark chamber where Montresor chains Fortunato to the wall. Fortunato, still unaware of Montresor's true intentions, believes this to be a joke and laughs it off.
However, Montresor begins to build a wall of bricks, sealing Fortunato inside the chamber. As the wall nears completion, Fortunato's laughter turns to desperate pleas for mercy, but Montresor remains unmoved. He finishes the wall, leaving Fortunato to die a slow and agonizing death.
The story concludes with Montresor revealing that the events took place fifty years prior and that Fortunato's body has never been discovered.
"For the half of a century no mortal has disturbed them. In pace requiescat!"
"The Cask of Amontillado" is a chilling tale of revenge and the dark depths of the human psyche.