The Cask of Amontillado

I have been assigned a character sketch. I am not exactly clear of the meaning. I feel as if i know it but i am kind of foggy on the subject.

A character sketch should be composed as if the reader has no familiarity with the story and you are creating a general sense of the character both physically and pscychologically.

If your teacher is permitting you some creativity in this project, a fun way to approach a character sketch of either of Poe's characters would be to do a mock magazine interview.  If you are doing Fortunato, pretend you are a reporter for Wine Snob Weekly.  You could begin by describing the man's outlandish dress:  "He had on a tight-fitting parti-striped dress, and his head was surmounted by the conical cap and bells."  Then you could take about his love of wine and his even greater love of being deferred to for his opinions about wine:

 said to him --"My dear Fortunato, you are luckily met. How remarkably well you are looking to-day. But I have received a pipe of what passes for Amontillado, and I have my doubts."

"How?" said he. "Amontillado, A pipe? Impossible! And in the middle of the carnival!"

"I have my doubts," I replied; "and I was silly enough to pay the full Amontillado price without consulting you in the matter. You were not to be found, and I was fearful of losing a bargain."

If you are doing Montressor, you could pretend that you are reporting for Architectural Digest.  You could begin by asking normal questions which would soon digress into the strangeness of the catacombs and the characters' evil intentions. 

In order to do a character stretch, you need to first choose your character and be sure you understand the personality of the character--his physical traits, his attitude and voice ... anything at all that you learn about the character.  You will then want to reveal that personality to your reader.  Jamie has given you some great ideas. 

http://www.enotes.com/literary-t erms/characterization

http://www.eh ow.com/how_2059767_write-character-sketch.html

In reply to #2: Thank you to both of you. Although I do not beleive I will be able to do a magazine interview, as the assignment is for an online course, and I will not be able to contact the instructor in time. Thank you BOTH SOOOOOO MUCH THOGH!!!