Literary Devices in The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe

Cask of Amontillado Literary Elements

Activity Overview

Most short stories and screenplays are rich in figurative language and literary elements. These are used to enhance the symbolism, motifs, and themes within the story. The use of similes, metaphors, personification, and onomatopoeia are abundant in this Poe short story.

After reading the story, ask your students to go on a literary scavenger hunt! Give them a list of figurative language to find, and have them create a storyboard that depicts and explains the use of each literary element in the story! They will have an absolute blast and master the words by the end.

Literary Elements

	DESCRIPTION	EXAMPLE
Hyperbole	Exaggeration or overstatement for humor or emphasis	“The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could...”
Metaphor	An implied comparison between two things	“He turned towards me, and looked into my eyes with two filmy orbs that distilled the rheum of intoxication."
Foreshadowing	Hinting at something that will happen later on	“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.”

Lesson Plan Reference

Grade Level 6-12

Difficulty Level 1 (Introducing / Reinforcing)

Type of Assignment Individual or Partner

Type of Activity: Figurative Language

Common Core Standards

[ELA-Literacy/RL/9-10/1] Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text
[ELA-Literacy/L/9-10/3] Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening
[ELA-Literacy/L/9-10/5] Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings

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Template and Class Instructions

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Student Instructions

Create a storyboard that shows five examples of literary elements in "The Cask of Amontillado".

Click "Start Assignment".
Identify use of literary elements in the text.
Put the type of literary element in the title box.
Give an example from the text in the description box.
Illustrate the example using using a combination of scenes, characters, and items.

Literary Element Spider Map Template

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Rubric

(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)

Literary Elements Rubric

Create a storyboard that shows different literary elements from the story.

	Proficient	Emerging	Beginning
Identification of Literary Elements	All literary elements are correctly identified.	Most literary elements are correctly identified.	Few literary elements are correctly identified.
Illustration	Illustrations show attention to the details of the story and demonstrate connection to the literary elements.	Illustrations demonstrate connection to the literary elements.	Illustrations show little connection to the literary elements.
Description of Literary Elements	Descriptions clearly explain what the literary elements do to enhance the story.	Most descriptions tell what the literary elements do to enhance the story.	Descriptions are unrelated to the literary elements.
Spelling and Grammar	Spelling and grammar is mostly accurate. Mistakes do not get in the way of understanding.	Spelling is very inaccurate and hinders full understanding.	Text is very difficult to understand.