THE MEETING
Where does this story take place?
This story takes place in Venice.
WHY DID MONTRESOR WANT TO KILL FORTUNATO?
FORTUNATO HAD DONE AND SAID A THOUSAND THING TO HURT MONTRESOR. HE INSULTED HIM AND HE THOUGHT IT WAS TIME TO PUNISH HIM AND KILL HIM.
WHY DID THE MAIN CHARACTER AND HIS SERVANT ENTER THE HOUSE? HOW DID HE HURT HIMSELF? WHAT WAS THE HOUSE LIKE?
HE FELL OFF HIS HORSE AND HURT HIMSELF. HE NEEDED TO REST AND THERE WAS ONLY THAT LONELY HOUSE. IT WAS A FINE, OLD AND BIG BUILDING. IT WAS DARK AND EMPTY.
WHY WAS THE MAIN CHARACTER OF THIS STORY IN PRISON?
BECAUSE THE JUDGES OF THE INQUISITION HAD DECIDED THAT HE HAD TO DIE.
WHAT DOES THE WRITER SAY EVERYONES´S WORST FEAR IS?
IT IS BURIAL BEFORE DEATH, BURIAL WHILE YOU ARE STILL ALIVE.
WHO WAS MARCHESA DI MENTONI?
SHE WAS THE LOVELIEST WOMAN IN ALL VENICE. SHE BELONGED TO THE RICH AND FAMOUS MENTONI FAMILY. SHE WAS MARRIED TO AN OLD MAN. SHE HAD A CHILD BUT SHE FELT UNHAPPY.
HOW DID HE TAKE HIM TO THE VAULT?
HE WANTED FORTUNATO TO TRY A WINE, AMONTILLADO, BECAUSE, HE SAID HE WAS NOT SURE IF IT WAS REAL AMONTILLADO, HE TOOK HIS ARM AND WALKED TO HIS HOUSE. HE TOOK FORTUNATO THROUGH THE BUILDINGS AND DOWN THE STAIRS INTO THE VAULTS. THEY WENT ON AND DOWN, AND CAME INTO THE DEEPEST VAULT. THERE WERE BONES OF THE DEAD THERE. HE TOOK HIM TO THE SMALLER VAULT, HE SAID THAT THE AMONTILLADO WAS THERE.
WAS THE PORTRAIT IN THE HOUSE STRANGE? WHY?
THE WOMAN IN THE PORTRAIT HAD SOMETHING STRANGE IN HER FACE AND EYES. SHE LOOKED ALIVE.
WHAT WAS THE INQUISITION?
THE INQUISITION WAS A GROUP OF ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCHMEN IN THE 16Th CENTURY WHO PUNISHED TO A CRUEL DEATH TO PEOPLE WHO DID NOT AGREE WITH THEIR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS
WHAT HAPPENED TO TH EBALTIMORE WOMAN?
SHE WENT TO BED WITH A SUDDEN ILLNESS. HER HUSBAND AND DOCTORS THOUGHT THAT SHE HAD DIED.
HOW DID THE MARCHESA DI MENTONI REACT WHEN HER BABY FELL INTO THE WATERS OF THE CANAL?
SHE STOOD ALONE, BUT SHE WAS NOT LOOKING INTO THE WATER FOR HER CHILD. SHE WAS STARING ACROSS THE CANAL AT THE BUILDING OPPOSITE. PERHAPS SHE DIDN'T WANT TO LOOK INTO THE CANAL BECAUSE SHE WAS AFRAID OF SEEING THE DEAD BODY OF HER CHILD IN THE DARK WATERS.
WHAT DID MONTRESOR WITH THE METAL RINGS AND CHAINS ON THE WALL? WHY?
HE PUT THE CHAIN AROUND FORTUNATO AND LOCKED IT TO THE RINGS, SO HE COULDN'T ESCAPE.
TELL ME THE STORY BEHIND THE PORTRAIT. WHAT DID THE PAINTER REALLY LOVE?
THE WOMAN IN THE PORTRAIT WAS A YOUNG BEAUTIFUL WOMAN, EVEN MORE BEAUTIFUL WHEN SHE WAS SMILING AND LAUGHING. SHE HAD MARRIED HER PAINTER. THE PAINTER LOVED PAINTING.
DESCRIBE THE PLACE WHERE THE PRISIONER WAS. WHAT WAS THERE? HOW DID HE FEEL? WHAT DID HE DROP INTO THE PIT? WHAT WAS THERE IN THE BOTTOM OF HE PIT. HOW DID HE REALIZE THAT?
THE PLACE WAS DARK AND WET. THE PRISIONER COULD FEEL A LITTLE WIND ON HIS FACE AND A SMELL OF DEATH. THERE WAS A DEEP PIT. HE DROPPED A SMALL STONE INTO THE PIT. AFTER A LONG TIME IT FELL INTO WATER. THERE WAS ALSO A PENDULUM OVER HIS HEAD. THE WALLS WERE MADE OF METAL. HE WAS LYING ON HIS BACK. THE PENDULUM WAS GETTING NEARER AND NEARER HIS HEART.
WHY DID THE DOCTORS AND HUSBAND THINK THAT THE WOMAN IN BALTIMORE HAD DIED?
BECAUSE HER HEART WAS SILENT, HER FACE WAS GREY, HER EYES WERE UNSEEING AND HER BODY WAS AS COLD AS A GRAVE.
WHO SAVED MARCHESA DI MENTONI'S CHILD FROM THE DARK WATERS OF THE CANAL?
HOW DID SHE REACT WHEN THE BABY WAS RESCUED FROM THE WATER?
A YOUNG GOOD LOOKING MAN SAVED HER CHILD. THE MARCHESA DIDN'T TAKE HER CHILD IN HER ARMS. HER HANDS WERE SHAKING AND HER EYES WERE WET.
WHAT DID MONTRESOR BUILD AROUND FORTUNATO? WHY?
HE BUILT A HIGH WALL AROUND FORTUNATO SO THAT HE COULD NOT ESCAPE.
DID THE WOMAN LIKE HER HUSBAND'S JOB? WHY? WHY NOT? WHY DID SHE ALLOW HER HUSBAND TO PAINT HER PORTRAIT?
SHE HATED HER HUSBAND'S JOB BECAUSE IT KEPT HIM AWAY FROM HER. SHE AGREED TO BE PAINTED BECAUSE SHE LOVED HER HUSBAND.
WHAT ANIMALS WERE THERE IN THE CELL THE PRISIONER WAS?
THERE WERE BIG RATS.
TELL ME ABOUT THE WRITER'S DREAMS AND HOW THEY AFFECTED HIS LIFE.
THE WRITER HAD AN ILLNESS CALLED CATALEPSY. HE HAD A DREAM. HE LOOKED INTO THE OPEN GRAVES OF VERY DEAD PERSON IN THE WORLD. HE DIDN'T WANT TO BE AWAY FROM PEOPLE WHO KNEW ABOUT HIS CATALEPTIC FITS. HE MADE CHANGES IN HIS FAMILY VAULT. HE COULD OPEN IT FROM INSIDE. HE MADE HOLES FOR AIR AND LITGHT TO COME IN, AND PLACES FOR FOOD AND WATER NEAR THE COFFIN.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE YOUNG MAN AND THE MARCHESA DI MENTONI?
SHE TOOK POISON AND DIED. THE YOUNG MAN DIED WHEN HE WAS TOLD THIS TERRIBLE NEWS. HE HAD POISON IN HIS WINE
WHAT HAPPENED TO FORTUNATO? HOW DID MONTRESOR FEEL?
FORTUNATO DIED. MONTRESOR WAS HAPPY AND LAUGHED A LOT ABOUT HIS DEATH
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE WOMAN IN THE PORTRAIT AFTER BEING SEATED FOR LONG HOURS? DID HER HUSBAND CARE ABOUT HER? WHY? WHAT DID HE SAY WHEN HE FINISHED HIS PAINTING? WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE PAINTER'S BEHAVIOUR?
SHE DIED. THE PAINTER NEVER THOUGHT OF HIS WIFE. HE ONLY PAID ATTENTION TO HIS PAINTING. WHEN HE FINISHED HIS PAINTING HE SAID: "NOW SHE LIVES IN THIS PORTRAIT".
DID THE PRISIONER MANAGE TO RELEASE FROM THE ROPES? HOW? WHO RESCUED HIM?
THE PRISIONER PUT SOME MEAT ON THE ROPES. THE RATS ATE THE MEAT BECAUSE THEY LIKED FAT. THE RATS BROKE THE ROPES WITH THEIR TEETH AND THE PRISIONER COULD ESCAPE FROM DEATH. THE FRENCH ARMY HAD ARRIVED IN THE CITY OF TOLEDO AND WENT TO RESCUE THE PRISIONER.
WHEN DID THE WRITER STOP THINKING ABOUT PREMATURE BURIALS?
HE HAD A TERRIBLE DREAM. THERE WAS A SUDDEN STORM. THEY SAW AN OLD SAILING BOAT AT THE SIDE OF THE RIVER AND HURRIED TO IT. HE AND HIS FRIEND SLEPT THERE THAT NIGHT. THE BEDS WERE VERY NARROW, AND WERE NOT MUCH BETTER THAN LONG WOODEN BOXES. IN HIS DREAM, THE BED BECAME A COFFIN. THE MEN WHO SHOOK HIM TO WAKE HIM UP WERE THE WORKMEN ON THE BOAT. THE TERROR WAS REAL, AND TERROR CAN MAKE PEOPLE ILL, OR EVEN KILL THEM. AFTER THAT DAY HE STOPPED THINKING ABOUT DEATH AND BURIAL.