Poe’s Cask of Amontillado: Close Reading, Debate, & Writing Activities

Dark Revenge in Poe’s The Cask of Amontillado
Grades 8–11 | 2–3 Class Periods | 19 Pages

Bring Edgar Allan Poe’s chilling short story to life with this engaging, ready-to-use lesson plan! Students will dive into Gothic literature, debate Montresor’s reliability, and analyze the psychology of revenge through close reading, group discussion, and writing.

✅ What’s Included:

• Teacher Guide & Pacing Plan (step-by-step directions for 2–3 days)
• Bell Ringer Prompt: “Is revenge ever justified?”
• About Poe & Gothic Literature Background
• Guided Annotation Handout
• Close Reading Excerpts with Prompts
• Irony & Symbolism Charts
• Group Discussion / Quick Write Prompts
• Debate Activity: Can Montresor be trusted?
• Theme Analysis Organizer
• Writing Prompts: Argument OR Creative Journal Entry
• Editable Writing Rubric (detailed, standards-aligned)
• Quick Quiz / Exit Ticket
• Reflection Prompt

🎯 Skills Covered:

• Analyzing irony, symbolism, and setting
• Evaluating unreliable narrators
• Exploring theme and human psychology
• Writing argumentative & creative responses
• Supporting ideas with textual evidence

✨ Why Teachers Love It:

• No prep required – just print & go
• Flexible: works for 2–3 days, middle or high school
• Built-in differentiation: choice of writing tasks & debate activity
• Combines literary analysis with critical thinking

📌 Perfect for:

• Short story units
• Literature circles
• High school ELA or advanced middle school
• Halloween or Gothic literature lessons