Description
This modern short story unit for Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” includes literary analysis activities, real-life parallels, an escape room game, and more! Explore setting, theme, mood, characterization, irony, and other literary devices. Suitable for online learning with digital resources for Google Classroom®!
Included with this short story unit for “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe:
- 60+ Essential Vocabulary Terms – Digital & Print
- Guided Reading Questions for “The Cask of Amontillado” – Digital & Print
- Plot Summary Story Map Activity – Digital & Print
- Setting and Mood Literary Analysis Graphic Organizer – Digital & Print
- True Crime Nonfiction Unit – Digital & Print
- Editable & Ready-to-Print Test – Google Docs®, Google Forms®, and Microsoft Word®
- Escape Room Review Game – Digital & Print
- Detailed Answer Keys and Mentor Texts
- Teacher Instructions for using these resources
Resources inside this short story unit for “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe:
1. “The Cask of Amontillado” Vocabulary Worksheets
Originally written in 1846, the diction used in “The Cask of Amontillado” may not feel familiar to your students. These vocabulary worksheets include 63 essential vocabulary terms that students will encounter while reading the short story. Through comprehension of these terms, these vocabulary worksheets serve as a scaffolding activity for understanding Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” more fluently. In studying this classic text, students often find that Poe’s precise and archaic word choice adds to the chilling atmosphere and Gothic tone of the narrative. By working through targeted vocabulary exercises, students can uncover how diction contributes to characterization and suspense. This approach builds a stronger foundation for literary analysis, allowing learners to interpret subtle cues in Montresor’s calculated dialogue and Fortunato’s unsuspecting responses. Teachers can also extend these activities by having students apply the vocabulary in creative writing prompts or sentence construction exercises inspired by “The Cask of Amontillado.”
2. Guided Reading Questions for “The Cask of Amontillado”
These guided reading questions support students’ independent reading of this classic short story! The resource includes a mix of comprehension and discussion questions designed to support both surface-level understanding and deeper literary analysis. You can encourage students to answer the comprehension questions during their reading of “The Cask of Amontillado” to reinforce engagement and support reading comprehension. By using these questions, students can better track the progression of Montresor’s sinister plan and explore Poe’s mastery of irony and unreliable narration. In analyzing “The Cask of Amontillado,” students can also examine how Poe manipulates tone and perspective to build tension. These questions can prompt meaningful discussions about the themes of revenge, pride, and justice—key elements that make “The Cask of Amontillado” such a powerful piece of Gothic literature. Incorporating these prompts into group discussions or Socratic seminars encourages critical thinking and peer learning as students interpret Montresor’s motives and moral ambiguity.
3. Plot Summary Story Map Activity
Guide your students through the chilling events in “The Cask of Amontillado” with this plot summary story map activity! Students will map the story’s key events, analyze structure, and reflect on Montresor’s calculated revenge using the visual graphic organizers provided. Includes collaborative poster activity! The story map allows learners to visualize the rising tension and progression of events from the carnival setting to the grim catacombs where Poe delivers his haunting finale. As students dissect each narrative stage, they gain a clearer understanding of Poe’s pacing and how he builds suspense through foreshadowing and irony. “The Cask of Amontillado” is a masterclass in plot control, and mapping it out helps students identify how every detail contributes to the story’s inevitable, horrifying conclusion. The collaborative poster activity further encourages group interpretation and artistic representation of the catacombs, deepening their connection to Poe’s vivid imagery.
4. Literary Analysis Graphic Organizer – Setting and Mood
Differentiate between setting and mood in Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” using this literary analysis activity! This resource includes information handouts and close reading quotations to explore the author’s illustration of setting and mood in this classic short story. Poe’s use of setting—particularly the dark, damp catacombs beneath Montresor’s palazzo—symbolizes both literal and psychological descent. Through guided analysis, students can interpret how the oppressive environment mirrors the growing sense of dread and doom that defines “The Cask of Amontillado.” The activity helps students explore how literary elements interact to evoke emotion and atmosphere. As students complete the graphic organizer, they will learn to cite specific passages that demonstrate how setting influences tone, which in turn amplifies the story’s macabre mood. This activity can also spark cross-text comparisons with other Poe works, highlighting the author’s signature Gothic style.
5. True Crime Nonfiction Unit
Introduce students to the genre of true crime with a set of five leveled nonfiction articles that summarize haunting real-world cases. These cases provide a rich foundation for comparing motives, outcomes, and moral complexity with “The Cask of Amontillado.” Students engage in pre-writing discussions about guilt, justice, and ethics as a bridge between fiction and nonfiction analysis. By connecting “The Cask of Amontillado” with real cases, students can explore how Poe’s themes of revenge and deception persist in modern narratives. This interdisciplinary approach invites students to analyze psychological motives and ethical questions that transcend literature, promoting empathy and moral reasoning. Teachers can encourage students to write analytical essays comparing the fictional revenge in “The Cask of Amontillado” with factual examples of human wrongdoing, helping them apply literary skills to real-world contexts.
6. “Escape the Catacombs” Review Game
Challenge your students to escape the catacombs with this digital and print escape room for “The Cask of Amontillado”! This escape room game challenges students to solve five chilling puzzles while reviewing their knowledge of Edgar Allan Poe’s twisted tale of revenge. Use this game as a final test review or to consolidate your short story unit! Interactive games like this one transform traditional review sessions into immersive experiences. Students revisit key plot points, vocabulary, and literary concepts in a hands-on, engaging way that reinforces understanding. As they solve riddles and clues tied to “The Cask of Amontillado,” they strengthen their recall and collaboration skills. This activity works well for differentiated learning, as each puzzle encourages critical thinking, teamwork, and application of textual evidence from the story.
7. “The Cask of Amontillado” Editable Question Bank
These editable test questions for Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” can be used as a final assessment for your short story unit. Assess students’ comprehension, understanding, and higher-level thinking skills using these question prompts. Use the editable format for Google Docs® to add or delete questions to your custom assessment. There are 15 multiple-choice test questions, 10 short-answer comprehension questions, and 6 long-answer essay questions from which to choose. This flexibility allows teachers to tailor assessments to the specific needs of their classes. The essay questions encourage students to explore themes of pride, revenge, and irony in depth, offering a platform to demonstrate critical analysis and textual interpretation. By evaluating “The Cask of Amontillado” through a variety of question types, educators can assess both comprehension and analytical reasoning, ensuring that students fully grasp the enduring brilliance of Poe’s narrative craft.
✨ Kindly note that due to copyright restrictions, this resource is not editable, except for the files specifically labelled as editable. This is a common practice within the online marketplace in order to protect the clip artists and software providers that have authorized their intellectual property for the development of this resource.
See what other teachers are saying about this Cask of Amontillado Short Story Unit:
“This resource is well-organized, easy to use, and works great in my high school special education classroom. My students stay engaged, and the materials are clear and accessible. I really appreciate the quality and thoughtfulness of this resource.”
– Nichole K.
⭒ For classrooms utilizing Google Classroom® ⭒
To access the digital version of these worksheets, simply follow the instructions within the resource to copy the files directly to your Google Drive®.
