The Cask of Amontillado (Poe)
Montresor, the narrator, had been insulted by Fortunato and decided to seek revenge. He planned his vengeance carefully, ensuring that he would not be caught or suspected. Montresor knew that Fortunato was a wine connoisseur and used this knowledge to lure him into a trap.
One evening during the carnival season, Montresor met Fortunato, who was already intoxicated.
Montresor told him that he had acquired a cask of Amontillado wine but had doubts about its authenticity. He mentioned that he was on his way to consult another wine expert, Luchresi, to verify the wine's quality. Fortunato, eager to prove his superior taste and knowledge, insisted on accompanying Montresor to his vaults to examine the wine himself.
"The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge."
Montresor led Fortunato to his family's catacombs, where the supposed cask of Amontillado was stored. As they descended deeper into the catacombs, Montresor offered Fortunato more wine, further impairing his judgment. Eventually, they reached a small niche in the catacombs where Montresor claimed the Amontillado was hidden.
Once inside the niche, Montresor quickly chained Fortunato to the wall and began to seal him inside by building a brick wall in front of the niche. Fortunato, now realizing the danger he was in, pleaded for mercy and tried to convince Montresor that it was all a joke. Montresor, however, remained resolute in his plan for revenge and continued to build the wall.
As the wall neared completion, Fortunato's pleas turned to desperate cries for help. Montresor, feeling a momentary pang of guilt, hesitated but ultimately continued with his plan. He finished the wall, sealing Fortunato inside the niche, and left him to die.
"For the love of God, Montresor!" "Yes," I said, "for the love of God!"
Montresor then covered the newly built wall with a pile of bones, hiding any evidence of his crime. He revealed that for fifty years, no one had discovered Fortunato's fate, and his revenge had been carried out with impunity.