Date
“The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe
Literary Analysis: Setting and Mood
Throughout “The Cask of Amontillado,” Poe uses specific words to create a particular mood.
When reading the story, you can identify the mood from the descriptive details that Poe uses.
For example, the words “with a leer” create a threatening mood in the following sentence: “He
raised it to his lips with a leer.” Often a single word can be used to describe the mood of a
story.
One important way Poe establishes the mood of the story is through the different settings.
The setting of a story is the time and place of the action. Time can include not only the historical period of the story (the past, present, or future) but also the time of year and even the
time of day. The place may involve not only the geographical place (the country, state, or town)
but also the social, economic, or cultural environment of the story.
DIRECTIONS: In “The Cask of Amontillado,” the mood is related to the different settings of the
story. As the setting changes, the mood changes too. Complete the chart to examine how
the setting affects the mood. Identify the descriptive details in each of the settings listed, then
identify the mood of each setting. The first one has been completed for you. Finally, answer
the questions that follow.
Setting
1. Beginning of story:
a street at dusk
during carnival
Descriptive Details
Mood
“the supreme madness
of the carnival season”
frenzied and delirious
2. Middle of story:
the catacombs of
the Montresors
3. End of story:
interior crypt
4. How do you think the mood of the story relates to the plot?
5. How does the mood shift as the characters move from one setting to another in the beginning, middle, and end of the story?
© Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Literary Analysis for Enrichment
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Unit 1: Spine Tinglers
Name