1. Think about the word “hero.” What does it mean to you? Does “The Cask of Amontillado” have a hero? Discuss the implications.
In my opinion, a hero is a character that translates a moral standard that is valued by our society into an action. During the course of the action, they put themselves through dangers, sacrifices, and even death. A hero puts the interests of the society as a whole beyond his/her own interests. In addition, a hero does not have to have superpowers or greater strength than others, however they would use their limited power to help the society the best way they can. For example, a healthcare worker helps people fighting deadly diseases, or a small kid helping elderly crossing a street could be considered as a hero as well.
“The Cask of Amontillado” does not have a character that fits my definition of a hero. As for Montresor, he immediately failed to be a hero through his revengeful thoughts. Montresor did put his interests, namely his family motto of “No one provokes me with impunity” beyond everything including his friendship with Fortunato. However he seems to have a double standard for himself as he claimed that “I must not only punish, but punish with impunity”. All of which make him not a hero according to my standard. As for Fortunato, the text did not specify how or why Fortunato “insulted” Montresor, so it is really hard for us as readers to categorize him as a hero or simply a victim of a revengeful friend, Montresor.

2. “The Cask of Amontillado” is often considered to belong to the horror genre. Where, for you, is the “horror” in the story? What elements of it might draw a visceral response from the reader, and why.
“The Cask of Amontillado” for me indeed would fit perfectly into the horror genre since because of two reasons.
One being the overall theme and setting that the story took place, a catacomb. It is very scary and upsetting for anyone to lured into a d...