A slow and painful death could have been avoided, if only the clues had been seen by the victim. As Montresor and Fortunato continue to make their way through the catacombs under Montresor 's house foreshadowing is built. Fortunato’s death is foreshadowed in the story when they drink wine in the cellar, when they talk about being masons, and when they get to the interior crypt. The different clues to the future show a lot throughout the short story, though much of it appears during their time drinking.
As Montresor and Fortunato drink, their conversation helps to foreshadow Fortunato’s death. While in the cellar, Fortunato has been suffering from a cough due to the niter. Therefore both of them drink hoping to help the cough: “‘I drink,’ he
…show more content…
Arriving at an area near the back of the catacombs, Montresor and Fortunato come across a crypt in the wall: “the great catacombs of Paris...Within the wall thus exposed by the displacing of the bones, we perceived a still interior recess, in depth about four feet, in width three, in height six or seven” (Poe 8). When Montresor talks about the “catacombs of Paris”, he is telling of a giant burial place for the dead. This statement hints that Fortunato will be buried here, lying around with the rest of the skeletons. The fact that the wall was “thus exposed by the displacing of the bones” makes it seem like someone purposely moved the bones. This is since “displacing” is forcing something out of place, making it sound intentional, as if something was prepared for Fortunato’s arrival. Furthermore a little later it says “a still interior recess,” this further adds on to the mystery. It would seem that the recess is open, this seems strange saying that they are in a really old area, one that should have already been filled with bodies. These two suspicious details make it seem that something bad is about to happen to Fortunato. Finally the size of the crypt itself sheds an ominous and foreshadowing light upon the story. The crypt was “in depth about four feet, in width three, in height six or seven.” What is wrong with these measurements is the fact that except for the width these are pretty much the exact dimensions of a coffin. Coffins usually contains a dead person who is buried, in this case Fortunato will be the dead man, and the crypt will be a coffin. The foreshadowing as they near the crypt helps to establish