Instructions: For the midterm exam, students will analyze and write about “The Cask of Amontillado” By Edgar Allan Poe. To prepare for the exam:
1. identify the literary elements listed below in the story.
2. be ready to quote a sentence from the story. You will need to present quotes with a signal phrase, quotation marks, and in-text citations
3. you should explain all quotes and supporting examples – what does it mean or emphasize in the story?
Flashback and Foreshadowing:
What’s one example of flashback in “The Cask of Amontillado”? What does the flashback suggest about the consequences of this murder on Montressor? What’s one example foreshadowing in “The Cask of Amontillado”? How does this foreshadowing add to the story or our understanding of Montressor?
Metaphor:
Identify one metaphor or one simile in “The Cask of Amontillado”. What two things are being compared in the metaphor or simile? How does the metaphor or simile make the story more effective?
Irony:
Where in “The Cask of Amontillado” do you see irony? How does the irony add to the story? Present the example of irony, state which kind of irony it is (verbal, dramatic, or situational). How does this irony make the story more or less engaging. Explain.
Conflict:
In your opinion, what is the cause of Montressor’s main internal conflict? Do these conflicts get resolved, or do they get worse? Explain.
Point of View
What point of view is “The Cask of Amontillado” told from? If the story were told from Fortunato’s perspective, how would the story be different? What would the mood be like and why?
