suspicion. And by his unwillingness to let a rival, Luchesi, have the pleasure of sampling it first. "

It is Fortunato's pride and the fact that he is quite drunk that allows him to be led to his death.

Montresor entices Fortunato to accompany him on the pretext of desiring that Fortunato taste and confirm the quality of his Amontillado, dry sherry in a new cask he has recently purchased. He manipulates Fortunato by playing upon his professional rivalry with Luchesi.

Montresor has planned his revenge against Fortunato for "[T]he thousand injuries" that he has suffered. He has decided that he will lure Fortunato into the Montresor family vaults on the pretext of having him taste some Amontillado in order to confirm for him that it is truly dry and thus of especially high quality. He tells Fortunato: 

"I have my doubts...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."

Then, Montresor plays upon Fortunato's rivalry with Luchesi:

"If you are engaged, I am on my way to Luchesi. If anyone has a critical turn, it is he. He will tell me—""Luchesi cannot tell Amontillado from sherry." [says Fortunato]"And yet some fools will have it that his taste is a match for your own."

This remark about his rival arouses Fortunato's desire to be the first to taste the Amontillado. Therefore, he urges Montresor to take him to the vaults so that he can boast of being the connoisseur who has first verified the quality of the Amontillado. Montresor, who previously dismissed all his servants to eliminate any risk of his actions being witnessed, then leads the unsteady Fortunato into the damp, niter-filled rooms. As they go deeper into the catacombs, the devious Montresor feigns concern for his "friend." In this way, Montresor follows his plan of revenge in which he can "punish with impunity." 

It is stated before we even meet the characters that Fortunato is a wine connoisseur, and Montresor makes use of that fact to bring about Fortunato's death. He claims to have a pipe (a large barrel) of Amontillado, a very specific type of sherry, which is the first enticement. Then, Montresor says he will ask another man, Luchesi, whether or not it is actually Amontillado and not some random sherry; this serves as the second enticement, taunting Fortunato with the supposed expertise of another man. Fortunato takes the bait, claiming that Luchesi is not good enough to determine whether or not Montresor actually has a cask of Amontillado, so he himself would go and test it. Montresor pretends to decline, saying that Fortunato's health is not good enough to go down into the cellar, and he does that multiple times on their journey, but each time Fortunato states that he is fine and they should keep going. He is clearly very excited about the Amontillado, which means that Montresor made a good decision in using it as the bait. So, in the end, Montresor makes Fortunato think that it was his own idea to go into the vaults to test the cask of Amontillado.

Montresor lures Fortunato to his wine vaults first by playing on Fortunato's pride as a connoisseur of wine. He sets the bait by informing Fortunato that he has a pipe of amontillado but is not sure it is genuine. Fortunato, proud of his knowledge of wine, cannot resist the chance to show off his knowledge. Montresor adds that he doesn't want to bother him and that his other friend, Luchesi, can test the wine. Fortunato insists that he's the best judge and follows Montresor to the vaults. 

Once he gets him in the vaults/catacombs, still acting as the good friend, Montresor notes Fortunato's cough and says that they should go back out. The vaults are cold and damp. Montresor's warnings are to show that he cares for his friend's health. However, this just makes Fortunato want to continue. It's as if Fortunato is a child being told what not to do, and this just makes him want to do it all the more. Once again, Montresor proposes that they leave the vaults because these are bad conditions for one who has a bad cough. And once again, he says he can summon his friend Luchesi. But Fortunato won't be outdone by Luchesi. He wants to test Montresor's wine to prove to him whether or not it is an authentic Amontillado. Montresor also uses wine/alcohol to lure him farther in. It alleviates Fortunato's cough and keeps him inebriated, making it easier for Montresor to continue manipulating him and lure him farther in. 

Montresor exploits Fortunato's extreme and obviously predictable pride in order to lure him to Montresor's family catacombs and kill him.  It seems as though Fortunato has "injur[ed]" and "insult[ed]" Montresor on a personal level, and now Montresor uses Fortunato's feelings of superiority against him.  He claims that he purchased a large quantity of a rare Spanish wine and that "'[he] was silly enough to pay the full Amontillado price without consulting [Fortunato] in the matter.'''  In this way, Montresor seems to defer to Fortunato's expertise, claiming that his own knowledge is inferior.  In other words, he flatters Fortunato, seeming to admit his own lack of expertise.

Then, Montresor suggests that Fortunato is clearly busy tonight, and so he will go in search of the other local wine connoisseur, a man named Luchesi, saying that "'some fools will have it that his taste is a match for [Fortunato's].'"  Again, he flatters Fortunato's pride, indicating that he thinks that Luchesi's palate is nowhere near as refined as Fortunato's, but that he will have to make do with a sub-par expert since Fortunato is clearly engaged.

Montresor knows that Fortunato will not be able to pass on the chance to show him up.  When he first tells Fortunato about the Amontillado, Fortunato exclaims that the chances of the wine being Amontillado are "'Impossible!'"  He seems absolutely incredulous that Montresor would make such a purchase, and he seems eager to gloat over his rival's likely mistake.  Further, Montresor knows that Fortunato fancies himself more knowledgeable than Luchesi and that this would give him an opportunity to prove it.  Fortunato states, "'Luchesi cannot tell Amontillado from Sherry.'"  Thus, Montresor uses Fortunato's overweening pride against him in order to lure him to his death.

Montresor uses several means of deception and manipulation to get Fortunato to follow him, but he most particularly plays upon Fortunato's ego.

The primary setup was Montresor's lie about having acquired a "pipe" or barrel, of Amontillado, which we are to take from their conversation is a highly-regarded wine, but one which may be so rare or expensive as to inspire others to pass off a cheaper wine as Amontillado and still fetch the full Amontillado price. Fortunato fancies himself an expert on wine, and this seems to be the perfect situation for him; he gets free wine regardless of the outcome, and he gets to show off his knowledge. Montresor relies upon Fortunato's ego to drive him further into danger.

The promise of the Amontillado alone may not have been enough to tempt Fortunato - so Montresor also contrives a lie about being on his way to see someone else to do the inspection job. He also suggests that his catacombs, where the wine is stored, are too damp, threatening Fortunato's health. This forms a challenge against both Fortunato's body and his mind, or reputation - on both counts Fortunato is too stubborn to relent, and by going against these perceived challenges, he unwittingly becomes focused on exactly the wrong threats. This, and his drunkenness, are probably what prevents him from perceiving the many veiled threats that Montresor makes against him.

Poe wanted to write a story in which one man lures another into the underground catacombs and leaves him to die in chains. The only thing that could lure such a man deep underground would be wine. It seems impossible to think of anything else that Montresor could have claimed to have to show Fortunato down there under his palazzo. It had to be some exceptionally good wine. It couldn't be Italian wine because too much of that was available in the city. (Note that at the end of the third paragraph, Montresor writes: "I was skilful in the Italian vintages myself, and bought largely whenever I could." This shows that he cannot pretend to need a second opinion on a cask of Italian wine.) It couldn't be French wine for the same reason. Montresor is French himself. The only other possibility was Spanish wine. Poe may have known very little about Amontillado except that it was the best wine produced in Spain and their most expensive export. 

Poe knew it wasn't enough to have a small amount of Amontillado. Montresor claims to have a pipe containing 126 gallons--and furthermore, and most importantly, he claims to have gotten it at a bargain price. It is the bargain price that lures Fortunato underground, not the desire to drink a glass of gourmet Spanish sherry. Montresor knew that Fortunato would not go with him just to taste his wine. The Amontillado (if it existed) would have come into port recently aboard a ship from Barcelona. Fortunato could have found the ship with ease and tasted the Amontillado on board-which Montresor would have done himself if the wine had been real and the ship had been real. Montresor pretends to be in a big hurry to get an expert opinion on his pipe of nonexistent imported Amontillado and says he is on his way to Luchesi. Fortunato only goes with Montresor to prevent him from going to Luchesi, who would also be extremely interested in a cargo of wine at a bargain price.

Montresor appeals to Fortunato's ego.  Fortunato prides himself on his skills as a connoisseur of fine wine.  Montresor tells Fortunato that he has been given a cask of Amontillado, a very rare and expensive wine, but that he believes it to be fake.  Montresor tells Fortunato he is going to find Luchresi, another expert on wine, and ask him if the wine is truly Amantillado.  This is too much for Fortunato to take, and he tells Montresor that he will come and taste the wine and give his expert opinion.  Fortunato is already drunk; Montressor gives him additional wine on the way to the Amontillado, therefore it is not difficult for Montresor to shackle Fortunato and build the brick wall around him.

Montresor seeks revenge on Fortunato, for a "thousand injuries" and a nameless insult. His plan involves burying Fortunato alive, deep within the catacombs of the Montresors. So he devises a plan to bring Fortunato to his own death. He tells Fortunato that he has purchased a cask of Amontillado, and needs Fortunato's expertise to determine the quality.

He flatters Fortunato, continually appealing to his sense of pride. He also decieved Fortunato, telling him that he will ask another appraiser instead. Fortunato is lured by this flattery, & by his competition with Luchesi (the other connoisseur). He is also drawn by the promise of Amontillado, which is a very rare dry sherry. Fortunato has already been drinking and celebrating during carnival, and he is easily convinced.

However, once he agrees to follow, Montresor continues his plan to ensure his revenge will work. He opens a bottle of wine and pauses often in their walk, to toast Fortunato. Yet his real intention is to make Fortunato even more intoxicated, thereby rendering him helpless and vulnerable. Although Fortunato is normally a respected citizen, when drunk he lives up to the jester costume which he is wearing. His weakness for alcohol allows him to be led deeper and deeper into the catacombs, eventually reaching his burial place.

The answer to this question can be found in the first few paragraphs of the text itself.  If you read it closely, you learn right off the bat that Montresor is angry with Fortunado because of the "thousands of insults" that Fortunado had sent his way.  Because of this, Montresor has devised "revenge...with impunity."  But, in order to exact his revenge, he must lure Fortunado down into the catacombs.  This is much easier than it might seem.  First of all, it is carnival, a huge party in the city, and Fortunado is already a bit tipsy from celebrating and drinking.  Secondly, Montresor knows that Fortunado "prided himself on his connoisseur-ship in wine," and this was quite a big weakness for him.  Fortunado thought he was an expert of wine, and whether one wine was better than another or not.  So, Montresor devises a plan.  He decides that he will pretend that he just bought a bottle of a fine wine, called Amontillado, and that he wants Fortunado to taste it and tell him if it really is a good wine, or if he paid too much for it.  This of course would require that they go into the catacombs.  Montresor knew that would appeal to Fortunado's sense of pride over his "expertise."  Montresor is even sneaky enough to lead Fortunado into thinking that tasting the wine was his own idea.  The conversation goes, in part, as follows:

"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...As you are engaged, I am on my way to Luchesi. If any one has a critical turn it is he. He will tell me—”

“Luchesi cannot tell Amontillado from Sherry.”

“And yet some fools will have it that his taste is a match for your own.”

“Come, let us go.”

“Whither?”

“To your vaults.”

“My friend, no; I will not impose upon your good nature. I perceive you have an engagement. Luchesi—”

“I have no engagement;—come.”

So, Montresor is able to lure him down to the vaults on the pretense of having a cask of Amontillado that he was going to bring to someone else to taste to see if it was any good.  Fortunado would not have that!  HE was the best wine-taster, so HE must do it.

I hope that those thoughts helped a bit; good luck!

Montresor tricks Fortunado into going into the wine cellar by telling him that he wants his advice on a cask of rare wine.

Montresor’s goal is to get Fortunado into the catacombs so that he can kill him.  He believes that Fortunado has insulted him extremely, and deserves to die.  What the insult is, and why Fortunado deserves to be murdered for it, is never revealed.

The bait that Montresor uses to get Fortunato into the underground wine cellar in the Montresor crypt is a cask of rare Amontillado wine.  He knows that Fortunato won't be able to resist.

He had a weak point—this Fortunato—although in other regards he was a man to be respected and even feared.  He prided himself on his connoisseur-ship in wine.

He tries to make it seem like it’s no big deal. In fact, he even goes so far as to suggest that he will get another man, Luchesi, to look at the wine.  He knows this will make Fortunato more interested.  He is right!

“Let us go, nevertheless. The cold is merely nothing. Amontillado! You have been imposed upon. And as for Luchesi, he cannot distinguish Sherry from Amontillado.”

Fortunato laughs of Montresor’s comments about his health.  Montresor is basically using reverse psychology, trying to put Fortunato at ease.  He knows that if he pretends that he does not want Fortunato to come, he will want to come even more.  So he makes comments about his health, and says he will have someone else look at the wine, and Fortunato wants to come desperately because his ego is stroked.

Another reason it is so easy to get Fortunato into the cellar is because he is drunk, since “he had been drinking much.”  He has been partying since it is carnival, an Italian holiday from celebrating after Lent.  This just makes him easy pickings for Montresor.

Montresor uses his knowledge of human nature, and Fortunato, to get Fortunato into the cave.  He realizes that if he tells him not to go, he will want to go even more.  He also knows that if he pretends to worry about his health, he will never suspect he is about to be murdered.  Just because you are crazy doesn't mean you aren't also smart!

In the story "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe, Montressor spends a long time plotting to kill Fortunato. He first ingratiates himself with his intended victim, so that Fortunato will trust him. He also discovers Fortunato's weaknesses, and especially his obsessive interest in fine wines.

At the time of the carnival, Montressor makes sure his servants are out of the way and then searches out Fortunato, and remarks 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."

Because this is a very rare vintage, Fortunato is interested in tasting it. Montressor also flatters Fortunato by pretending to want his expertise in judging its quality and authenticity. Montressor tells Fortunato that the Amontillado is in his cellars, and uses that to lure Fortunato into the cellar. When Fortunato appears to get tired with the long walk underground, Montressor continues to talk about the Amontillado and plies him with Medoc (a French red wine) to sustain his energy and keep him too drunk to resist or become suspicious.

“But I have received a pipe of what passes for Amontillado, and I have my doubts.”

Edgar Allan Poe makes every element in his story serve a dual or multiple purpose, in keeping with his well-known dictum regarding the short story that

In the whole composition there should be no word written, of which the tendency, direct or indirect, is not to the one pre-established design.

When Montresor tells Fortunato, “I have my doubts” and then repeats these exact words twice more, he is using a ploy he has carefully worked out and patiently rehearsed. By telling his intended victim that he has doubts about the quality of the wine he is virtually inviting the other man to impose on him. If Fortunato samples the wine and finds it to be genuine, he can shake his head and say that it is only ordinary sherry—then rush off to find the seller and buy up the entire cargo. This is the kind of trick Fortunato is quite capable of playing, and Montresor knows it from prior experience. By giving his enemy the opportunity to play another trick--to inflict another “injury”--Montresor is augmenting Fortunato’s motivation to accompany him to the catacombs.

By expressing doubts about the wine, Montresor is suggesting that he would have bought more if he had been sure of its quality. He says he got a bargain. This would explain why he is in such a hurry to obtain an expert opinion . He claims to be on his way to Luchesi that very evening, indicating that he would buy more as soon as possible if only he were sure it was the real Amontillado. If Fortunato should decline to accompany Montresor to his vaults immediately, he could find himself competing with both Luchesi and Montresor for the remainder of the shipment the next morning.

The third paragraph of Poe’s story suggests that all three of these men, Montresor, Fortunato, and Luchesi, are gentlemen traders or brokers dealing in expensive merchandise such as paintings, antiques, gemmary (jewelry), and no doubt in gourmet wines, their main customers being “Britisn and Austrian millionaires.” They are colleagues, competitors, friendly enemies, living in the ancient, decaying city of Venice where old families must occasionally part with heirlooms in order to exist or where the death of a patriarch might force the liquidation of an entire estate.

By telling Fortunato he has doubts about “what passes for Amontillado,” Montresor is insuring himself against becoming suspected of some sort of plot. If Fortunato for some reason is unable or unwilling to go to Montresor’s palazzo that evening, he is sure to question him about the wine later on. Montresor can bring him a bottle of sherry from his vault and tell him it is from the cask he just acquired. Fortunato would drink a glass and tell him truthfully that it was just fairly good Spanish sherry and definitely not Amontillado, and that would be the end of it. Montresor could explain that he had been unable to find Luchesi on the previous evening. But if Fortunato got the idea that the so-called Amontillado had never really existed, he would become extremely suspicious of Montresor’s friendship and his intentions. Montresor would have to bide his time and think of an entirely new way of disposing of Fortunato without getting caught.

It should be noted that Fortunato does not need to go with Montresor to the underground vaults or catacombs in order to sample the Amontillado (if it existed). Once Fortunato learns that Amontillado is available for sale at a bargain price, he could easily find the seller for himself. No doubt a shipload of casks of Amontillado has just arrived in port (at least according to Montresor’s story). That ship (if it existed) would be easy for a man with Fortunato’s experience to find, and he could sample the wine aboard the ship and probably buy directly from the captain.

Montresor knows that Fortunato would think this way, because he has had plenty of dealings with the man in the past and has frequently been injured by him in business transactions. When Fortunato says, “Impossible!” he is only expressing his surprise that a shipload of gourmet wine should have arrived without his having heard about it. He assumes that he has missed out on this information because he has been drinking and carousing during the carnival season.

Montresor only entices Fortunato to his palazzo by telling him he is on his way to consult Luchesi. Fortunato doesn’t want Luchesi to hear about the shipload of Amontillado, because Luchesi would go searching for it on the waterfront himself. Then Fortunato would be competing with Luchesi in bargaining for the wine. Presumably either one of them would buy the entire shipload. Poor Montresor would have bought more than one cask if he had been sure of its quality, but he could not afford to buy the entire cargo of wine under any circumstances. At best he could buy another cask or two (if it existed!).

So Fortunato decides to go with Montresor. The alternative, if Luchesi had not been mentioned, would have been to decline to go with Montresor on any pretext, find the ship and sample the wine on board. But now what Fortunato is probably planning is to taste Montresor’s wine, shake his head, and tell him it is only ordinary sherry—then go looking for the ship, having eliminated both Montresor and Luchesi as potential competitors. And when Fortunato had beaten his competitors out of all the valuable Amontillado, he would laugh and call it “an excellent jest.”

It is a common mistake to believe that Fortunato is mainly interested in drinking a glass of Amontillado and also showing off his connoisseurship of wine. Montresor tells him he has bought a cask at a bargain price. Both men refer to the cask as a “pipe,” which is a cask containing 126 gallons. Naturally Fortunato assumes there must be more for sale, probably a whole shipload newly arrived from Spain. He wants to buy some for himself. Being rich, he could afford to buy the entire shipload. Neither man is mainly interested in the Amontillado for personal consumption. The third paragraph of Poe’s story strongly suggests that they both buy and sell luxury goods, which would include fine wines as well as “paintings and gemmary.” Luchesi is also in this business, and Fortunato is anxious to buy up the wine before Luchesi hears about it. But he has to taste it to make sure it is genuine Amontillado. Montresor has told him, “I have my doubts.” Montresor implies that he probably would have bought more of the wine himself if he had been sure of its quality. Fortunato may have been planning to taste the wine and tell Montresor it is ordinary sherry even if it is excellent Amontillado, then find the ship and buy up the entire cargo. Injuries like these are among the “thousand injuries” Montresor has suffered at Fortunato’s hands over the years, since Fortunato is richer and better connected in Italy. He is not just eager to drink a glass of Amontillado deep underground at night. Surely he could buy plenty of glasses of Amontillado in the city if he wanted that particular wine. He does not really believe that Luchesi is an “ignoramus.” He is afraid of Luchesi and wants Montresor to believe that this competitor is an unreliable judge of wines. Montresor knows from past experience exactly what Fortunato is thinking and planning. If he beats Montresor out of purchasing more of the Amontillado, he will laugh and say it was “an excellent jest.”

Montressor feels insulted by Fortunado and plots to kill him.  While we are not told the nature of this insult, we do know how Montressor completes his plan.  Making sure all of the servants are gone for the evening, Montressor lures Fortuando back to his house and the catacombs beneath it.  He assure Fortuando that he has a cask of very expensive and popular wine stored in the catacombs.  Fortunado cannot believe that Montressor has found such a wonderful wine in the middle of the Carnival season.  He counts himself lucky and heads into the catacombs with Montressor.  He begins to feel unnerved but Montressor calms him with flattery and wine.  He assures Fortunado that he needs his opinion since Fortuando is a great wine taster and has superior knowledge of wines.  Fortunado is reassured by this flatter to continue farther into the catacombs where he will meet his demise.

In The Cask of Amontillado, Montresor uses Fortunato's own pride against him. Montresor knows that Fortunato prides himself on being knowledgeable about wine, so he comes up with the right kind of bait to trap such a man. First, Montresor mentions that he purchased a cask of what the sellers claimed to be Amontillado, but he was not so sure; he says that he should have asked Fortunato before making the purchase, but he feared losing the deal. Not only does this peak Fortunato's interest (as it is apparently unusual to be able to acquire an entire cask of Amontillado at that time of year), but it starts the inflation of Fortunato's ego. After saying that he should have consulted Fortunato, he immediately takes the opportunity away by saying that he is going to go ask another man, Luchesi, about it instead, thus taunting Fortunato with what could have been. Fortunato rises to the taunts, however, and claims that Luchesi is not as good as he is, so Montresor should forget Luchesi and let him test it out instead. Montresor declines, saying that he does not wish to interrupt Fortunato's partying, and this false refusal only makes Fortunato argue for it even more. Even once they are down in Montresor's vaults, he tries to convince Fortunato to leave, making Fortunato repeatedly say that he wants to stay. Thus, Montresor makes Fortunato believe that it was his own idea to help out Montresor with the Amontillado, when in fact, it was what Montresor wanted all along.

Montresor takes a long time to fashion an elaborate lie that will entice Fortunato into the catacombs beneath his palazzo, where he can murder him. In the first paragraph, Montresor says

At length I would be avenged; this was a point definitely, settled—but the very definitiveness with which it was resolved precluded the idea of risk.

He wants his plan to be foolproof. When he encounters Fortunato celebrating on the streets during the carnival season, Montresor tells him his finely honed falsehood.

I 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.....As you are engaged, I am on my way to Luchesi. If any one has a critical turn it is he. He will tell me—”

A pipe contains 126 gallons. Neither of these men would want the equivalent of 500 quart bottles of Amontillado sherry for personal consumption. They are not even sherry drinkers. The word "bargain" is what captures Fortunato's interest. He knows Montresor only bought the wine for resale. Many first-time readers of the story assume Fortunato wants to taste the delicious wine and show off his connoisseurship. This is not at all true. He is interested in the "bargain." He is a rich man. He could buy up the whole cargo of big oak barrels of fine Spanish sherry and make a small fortune. The wine only improves with age, so he could take his time about bottling and selling it by the case, probably to those British and Austrian millionaires Montresor mentions in his introduction. 

Fortunato doesn't need to taste Montresor's wine at all. He could go to the harbor and find a newly arrived Spanish ship with ease. There would be a whole shipload of Amontillado to sample, and he could make the deal on board. But Montresor has foreseen that possibility. He inserts the name Luchesi so that, if Fortunato declined to come to his palazzo immediately, Montresor could continue on his way on the pretext of consulting another connoisseur, and possible buyer, about his Amontillado. Fortunato can't let that happen. He must accompany Montresor to his home to keep him from talking to Luchesi. Otherwise, Fortunato would be competing with Luchesi in buying up the imaginary cargo of imaginary wine.

It was essential for Montresor to get Fortunato to his palazzo right away. Otherwise, if there was any delay at all, Fortunato could find out there was no Spanish ship, no Amontillado. Montresor would not only lose the chance to kill Fortunato, but he would arouse his suspicions. That would make it infinitely harder to entrap him at some time in the future. Montresor does not actually say that he has bought a pipe of Amontillado from a Spanish ship. He says:

"But I have received a pipe of what passes for Amontillado, and I have my doubts.”

The cunning Montresor has left himself a loophole. If necessary, he could make up some barely plausible lie, such as that he bought the pipe from a Venetian who had had it in his cellar for some time. But he doesn't have to do that. Fortunato imagines a Spanish ship full of big barrels of gourmet sherry which he can buy at a bargain price and sell at a great profit. He does not question Montresor any further because he does not want his gullible, trusting friend to suspect that he would be interested in buying any of the wine himself. He can go to Montresor's palazzo, taste the wine, make sure it is genuine, then get away and find this Spanish ship. No doubt he already plans to tell Montresor the wine is only ordinary sherry, just to eliminate him as a buyer. Montresor could only be so anxious to get an expert to sample his wine that night  if he intended to buy more while it was still being offered as a bargain. If it really is just ordinary sherry, Fortunato can forget about it. If it is genuine, he can buy up the whole cargo.

Montresor knows Fortunato thoroughly. He has had plenty of experience with this man. He knows what his shrewd, unscrupulous friendly enemy is thinking and planning. Fortunato has swallowed the whole cunning lie hook, line and sinker. He wants to rush to Montresor's palazzo as quickly as they can get there.

“Let us go, nevertheless. The cold is merely nothing. Amontillado! You have been imposed upon. And as for Luchesi, he cannot distinguish Sherry from Amontillado.”

Thus speaking, Fortunato possessed himself of my arm; and putting on a mask of black silk and drawing a roquelaire closely about my person, I suffered him to hurry me to my palazzo.

He had a weak point -- this Fortunato -- although in other regards he was a man to be respected and even feared. He prided himself on his connoisseurship in wine. Few Italians have the true virtuoso spirit. For the most part their enthusiasm is adopted to suit the time and opportunity to practise imposture upon the British and Austrian MILLIONAIRES. In painting and gemmary, Fortunato, like his countrymen , was a quack, but in the matter of old wines he was sincere. In this respect I did not differ from him materially; I was skilful in the Italian vintages myself, and bought largely whenever I could.

This is the third paragraph of "The Cask of Amontillado" quoted in full. It conveys two main ideas. One is that Montresor is not an Italian but a Frenchman. He distances himself from the Italians by his disparagement of their judgment of "painting and gemmary." His family may have lived in Venice for several centuries, but he is still an outsider as far as the upper-class Italians are concerned. His catacombs may be full of human bones--but these are not necessarily all bones of his ancestors. He may not have cleared out the bones that did not belong to his family because there was no place to put them; or there may be some law against such removal. In fact, it is quite possible that Montresor doesn't even own his palazzo but is renting it. He is obviously not affluent. He says that he bought largely (of Italian wines) "whenever I could." That should be interpreted to mean whenever he could affordto. There would always be plenty of Italian wines available.

The other main idea conveyed in Poe's third paragraph is that both Montresor and Fortunato are specialists in luxury goods and must both be earning their livings through buying and selling expensive merchandise to wealthy people. They are in the same line of business, but they are also competitors. While Montresor is poor, Fortunato is rich. It is very likely that the "thousand injuries" which Montresor does not explain are injuries suffered in business deals. Fortunato can outbid him. Fortunato can afford to buy in larger quantities. And Fortunato has family connections going back for over a thousand years. Italians would favor him because of his family status. If there is something good to be bought at a bargain price, Fortunato is more likely to hear about it before Montresor.

When Montresor tells Fortunato that he has bought a cask of Amontillado, Fortunato says, "Impossible!" What he really means is that it would be impossible for Montresor to learn about such a cargo of valluable wine before he did. But this is carnival season and Fortunato has been drinking and not attending to business. He thinks this is why Montresor has gotten ahead of him. However, Montresor has only bought one "pipe" (126 gallons) because, as he says, "I have my doubts" (about the genuineness of the wine). Fortunato is highly motivated to taste it--not because he needs any more wine, not because he is anxious to show off his connoisseurship, not to accommodate a friend--but because he wants to buy some of the Amontillado himself for resale. But he himself must taste it to make sure it is genuine, since Montresor has repeatedly expressed his doubts. Fortunato can afford to buy the whole cargo and make a big profit--and Montresor knows that is exactly what Fortunato is planning to do because that is exactly the sort of injurious thing Fortunato has done in the past.

In one of the early paragraphs of Poe's story Montresor suggests that both he and Fortunato deal in wines, paintings and gemmary. They sell to British and Austrian millionaires. Montresor states: "I was skillful in the Italian vintages myself, and bought largely whenever I could." That must mean whenever he could afford to. He tells Fortunato that he got a bargain on the cask of Amontillado. Fortunato is rich, whereas Montresor admits that he has fallen on hard times. Fortunato is thinking that he could buy a much larger quantity of the wine if it truly is Amontillado and then resell it in smaller quantities at a profit. The wine in wooden casks would only improve with age, so he could dispose of it at his convenience. So greed lures him to Montresor's home, in addition to the challenge to his connoisseurship and his fear that if he doesn't come immediately he might be beaten out of a deal by Luchesi. Montresor has to pretend to have bought an imported wine, not a domestic wine, because, for one thing, he is himself a connoisseur of Italian vintages.

In “The Cask of Amontillado”, Montressor persuades Fortunato to come to his home and particularly down into the catacombs, by appealing to Fortunato’s  love of wine and his arrogance in being able to discern different types of wine. Montressor knows that Fortunato will not be able to resist the lure of the rare Amontillado wine;  Montressor  goes so far as to say that he will ask another wine connoisseur to evaluate his wine.  Indeed, once Fortunato hears that Montressor might possess the Amontillado, he is insistent that Montressor lead him to the cask so that he may sample it and verify its type.  In the end, it is Fortunato’s  arrogance that seals his fate and allows Montressor to end his life.

In the "The Cask of Amontillado" Montressor makes a point of telling the reader that he does not have a very good relationship with Fortunado; we know that Montressor is determined to get his revenge on this man for some wrong that he has done to him.  Montressor begins a conversation with Fortunado at a party and tells him that he has a cask of a very rare wine called Amontillado at his house; since Fortunado prides himself in being a conesseur of wine, Montressor knows that Fortunado would like to have some of this wine.  Montressor then tells Fortunado that he has changed his mind about allowing Fortunado to test it and says that he would invite a man named Luchesi to test it instead.  Upon hearing this, Fortunado gets annoyed and almost begs Montressor to allow him to go to his home to taste this wine.

He had a weak point -- this Fortunato -- although in other regards he was a man to be respected and even feared. He prided himself on his connoisseurship in wine. Few Italians have the true virtuoso spirit. For the most part their enthusiasm is adopted to suit the time and opportunity to practise imposture upon the British and Austrian MILLIONAIRES. In painting and gemmary, Fortunato, like his countrymen , was a quack, but in the matter of old wines he was sincere. In this respect I did not differ from him materially; I was skilful in the Italian vintages myself, and bought largely whenever I could.

This is the third paragraph of "The Cask of Amontillado" quoted in full. It conveys two main ideas. One is that Montresor is not an Italian but a Frenchman. He distances himself from the Italians by his disparagement of their judgment of "painting and gemmary." His family may have lived in Venice for several centuries, but he is still an outsider as far as the upper-class Italians are concerned. His catacombs may be full of human bones--but these are not necessarily all bones of his ancestors. He may not have cleared out the bones that did not belong to his family because there was no place to put them; or there may be some law against such removal. In fact, it is quite possible that Montresor doesn't even own his palazzo but is renting it. He is obviously not affluent. He says that he bought largely (of Italian wines) "whenever I could." That should be interpreted to mean whenever he could affordto. There would always be plenty of Italian wines available.

The other main idea conveyed in Poe's third paragraph is that both Montresor and Fortunato are specialists in luxury goods and must both be earning their livings through buying and selling expensive merchandise to wealthy people. They are in the same line of business, but they are also competitors. While Montresor is poor, Fortunato is rich. It is very likely that the "thousand injuries" which Montresor does not explain are injuries suffered in business deals. Fortunato can outbid him. Fortunato can afford to buy in larger quantities. And Fortunato has family connections going back for over a thousand years. Italians would favor him because of his family status. If there is something good to be bought at a bargain price, Fortunato is more likely to hear about it before Montresor.

When Montresor tells Fortunato that he has bought a cask of Amontillado, Fortunato says, "Impossible!" What he really means is that it would be impossible for Montresor to learn about such a cargo of valluable wine before he did. But this is carnival season and Fortunato has been drinking and not attending to business. He thinks this is why Montresor has gotten ahead of him. However, Montresor has only bought one "pipe" (126 gallons) because, as he says, "I have my doubts" (about the genuineness of the wine). Fortunato is highly motivated to taste it--not because he needs any more wine, not because he is anxious to show off his connoisseurship, not to accommodate a friend--but because he wants to buy some of the Amontillado himself for resale. But he himself must taste it to make sure it is genuine, since Montresor has repeatedly expressed his doubts. Fortunato can afford to buy the whole cargo and make a big profit--and Montresor knows that is exactly what Fortunato is planning to do because that is exactly the sort of injurious thing Fortunato has done in the past.

Montresor tells Fortunato that he has bought some wine that he thinks is Amontillado, but he needs an expert opinion to tell him if it is genuine. Montresor flatters Fortunato in order to get him down in the catacombs. He knows Fortunato considers himself an expert of wines, so he uses that to lure him to his death.

Montresor knows that Fortunato will be celebrating the "supreme madness of the carnival season," and that he will have been drinking heavily. Montresor also knows Fortunato's weakness: his love of spirits. Montresor concocts the story of the rare bottle of Amontillado (a Spanish sherry) knowing that Fortunato will not be able to resist the urge to sample it. Cleverly, Montresor also suggests that a mutual acquaintance, Luchesi, is available to give his opinion of the vintage if Fortunato is not able. Fortunato has no plans to allow someone else to spoil his chance, so he willingly follows Montresor deep into his catacombs, which also serve as a wine cellar. Despite the bones that are scattered throughout their path, Fortunato does not fear or mistrust Montresor: His thoughts are only on the Amontillado.

The initial lure is the wine; he has mentioned how fond Fortunado is of wine, especially the fact that "he prided himself on his connoisseur-ship in wine." Montresor appeals to Fortunado's pride on the issue of being a wine-expert. Of the supposed Amontillado that he purchased, he says to Fortunado, "I was silly enough to pay the full Amontillado price without consulting you in the matter." This strokes Fortunado's ego and piques his interest; now he'll just have to take a look for himself! So that is how he gets him down there in the first place.

Once in the tombs, he uses one other tactic-reverse psychology, again working on Fortunado's pride. Every time Fortunado hesitates or coughs, Montresor stops and insists the return. In one case he states, "“Come...we will go back; your health is precious. You are rich, respected, admired, beloved; you are happy, as once I was. You are a man to be missed." Here he flatters Fortunado and feigns concern for him. This has two effects: to make Fortunado feel he must prove his manliness by continuing, and by making him feel like he won't get to see the wine, which makes him more determined to see it.

A third tactic Montresor employs is getting Fortunado more drunk. At one point he grabs a bottle of wine and says, "'Drink,' presenting him the wine. He raised it to his lips with a leer" and drank an entire swig, getting more drunk as they continue.

So, by combining the psychological techniques of ego-stroking, flattery, reverse psychology, removal of the object of his desire (the wine) AND by getting him rip-roaring drunk, Montresor manages to lead Fortunado to his demise.

Although Montressor has well prepared his revenge in "The Cask of Amontillado,"he pretends to allow Fortunato the option of following him into the catacombs to taste the non-existent Amontillado. When Montressor sees that Fortunato is drunk (which he knew would be the case) and has a cold, he tells him not to bother--Montressor will simply allow Luchesi to give his assessment of the vintage. When Fortunato's cough worsens as they descend lower through the nitre-encrusted walls, Montressor begs him to go back. Fortunato replies that he "will not die from a cold." Montressor knows, however, that Fortunato's love of the rare Amontillado is too tantalizing for him to refuse.