Montresor, notes that when he first encountered Fortunato, it “was about dusk, one evening during the supreme madness of the carnival season” (250) when people wear costumes and masks. Since Montresor vows revenge against Fortunato, the suggestion that this is a season of “supreme madness” introduces a feeling of uncertainty and suspense. The sense of darkness repeats as Montresor proceeds to describe the indoor setting to which he leads Fortunato in the catacombs where he eventually traps Fortunato. Montresor mentions that it is “midnight when he puts the finishing touches on the entombment of his prey” (16). Poe causes readers to suspect that something frightening is about to happen. Just as the time in which “The Cask of Amontillado” is
