Knowt
English Shortstory review
Cask of Amontillado:
Written by Edgar Allen Poe
Montresor is the main character
He is “friends” with Fortunato
He buries him alive because he disgraced him
His family code of arms is a snake biting a foot while stepping on it. This is to show how his family always gets revenge on the people who disgrace them.
Montresor = Foot; Fortunato = Snake
Fortunato wears motley (a jester’s outfit/stupid clothing) representing how he dies a fool
Montresor heavily plans this murder and torture and tells his servants that he will be gone for a while and to stay in the house knowing that they will leave. (he understands human nature)
Montresor knows a lot about the human mind and uses it against Fortunato by mentioning his rival, Luchresi, to lure him into his catacomb
The mentioning of Luchresi brings out Fortunato’s arrogance and weakness which eventually leads to Fortunato getting killed
Montresor knows that he will find Fortunato very drunk which works to his plan
Fortunato is so drunk that Montresour even pulls out a shovel/trowel and Fortunato does not question it.
While building the wall to trap Fortunato, Montresor takes a break and sits upon the skeletons to listen to Fortunato’s calls of pain
Shows his psychotic nature
Cell One:
Takes place in the high crime corrupt country of Nigeria
The main character is Nnamabia but the narrator is the unnamed sister of his.
Namibia's father is a professor at a college and the family is wealthier than others although they are still considered middle class
When Nnamabia and his sister are at church, Nnamabia leaves and robs their own house and tries to make it like a break-in.
They find it out and they punish him by writing an essay
There are murders and shootings at the school because there are gangs that are called cults.
Nnamabia is very popular and is friends with all of the cult members.
He gets arrested for a suspected shooting and is sent to a prison with poor conditions
An old man is bullied and harrassed by corrupt cops and Nnamabia does not like it. He protests and is sent to the infamous “Cell One” where nobody has returned.
He survives this ordeal after being beaten by the corrupt cops.
The parents bribe the cops with food every week to see him - showing how corrupt life is for them
When he gets out he is changed and understands the corruptness and high crime rates in his area.
The Feeling of Power:
First published in February 1958, by Isaac Asimov
The main character is a lowly technician named Aub
Aub likes to make his own computers and in doing this Aub finds a way to do “mental computation” also known as “graphitics”
This takes place in the far future where humans can not do simple math and computers do everything for us
Aub’s talent is discovered by a popular man who overlooks the production of computers even though computers make computers.
This man's name is Shuman
He then sends this to General Weider and Congressman Brant where he shows his talent.
They then send this to the president of the world.
They use this against the world of Deneb which will just lead to more destruction
Because of all the destruction Aub has caused by exposing this talent, he kills himself.
The Feeling of Power mocks the overuse of computers by humans and shows how drastic it can get in the future if this trend continues
Storm Chasers
A father and his son watching the stormy weather outside, when the father thinks they should go out looking for tornadoes
The son (Jakey) is very young and very curious about most things
There is a picture overhead of their house and it is a dark triangle with their house in the middle in a vast field of bright yellow plants. This symbolizes the metaphorical darkness or sadness of their house
They go out and look for storms but do not find any
When they return the inside of the house is a wreck
Glass is all over the floor and in the middle is Jakey’s mother
Jakey’s toy box is tipped over which symbolizes how the mother’s possible addictions or problems are ruining Jakey’s childhood and innocence.
The author makes it seem like it was a tornado but with a deeper look, it is clear that the mother did this
Jakey’s dad tells him to not go to his mother because “there is glass”. This is true but it is also because he may think the mother is dangerous and she is probably going through something that is unmentioned but implied by the author.
Much Ado About Nothing
Act I
Leonato welcomes home soldier friends who return from battle
Don Pedro of Aragon, respected nobleman
Claudio, brave young soldier, much honor in fighting
Leonato’s daughter, Hero, and her cousin, Beatrice, accompany him
Beatrice asks about the health of a soldier, Signor Benedick
Beatrice mocks Benedick
Messenger of Don Pedro defends Benedick, says he’s an honorable man
Leonato explains that Beatrice and Benedick have a “love/hate” relationship, where they trade insults every time they meet
Don Pedro arrives at Leonato’s home with Claudio and Benedick
Don John “The Bastard” is also with them, Don Pedro’s brother, who is quiet, and whom Don Pedro becomes friendly with after a period of hostility
Beatrice and Benedick begin to insult each other’s looks, intelligence, and personality, while Leonato and Don Pedro talk privately
Don Pedro tells Benedick, Claudio, and Don John that Leonato has invited them to stay for a month, and Don Pedro has accepted
Claudio and Benedick are now alone, Claudio announces to Benedick that he has fallen in love with Hero
Benedick plays down Hero’s beauty
Don Pedro returns and Benedick tells him Claudio’s secret
Don Pedro approves highly of the match, proposes a trick since Claudio is shy and Leonato is Don Pedro’s closest friend
At the costume ball to be held that night, Don Pedro will disguise himself as Claudio, and declare his love for her
He will then talk with Leonato, her father, which should let Claudio to win Hero over
Antonio, Leonato’s brother, has a secret to tell Leonato
Antonio heard the scheme about Hero, but thinks it’s Don Pedro who wants to marry
Leonato will tell his daughter, so she can prepare for an answer, even if it is not true, they should still prepare
Conrad, Don John’s assistant, asks Don John why he seems depressed
Don John says he cannot hide it anymore and must show everyone his true bad nature and sadness
Conrad says he must hide it, because Don John is now friendly with him
Don John would rather be a thorn in his side, then be liked by him
He acknowledges this new purpose, to be a villain
Conrad asks how he can use his depression to his advantage
Borrachio, Don John’s other assistant, heard the plan for Hero correctly, and that Claudio wants to Marry Hero
Claudio irks Don John, young, glory overshadows him, wants to cross Claudio in any way, going to mess us his marriage
Don John asks Borachio and Conrad if they will help, and they will
Act II
Hero and Beatrice discuss their idea of a perfect man, a medium of Don John, who never talks, is quiet, and is very manly;Benedick, who always talks but has a good sense of humor and is childish
Leads to a conversation about whether Beatrice will ever find a husband, she laughingly says no
Leonato and Antonio remind Hero of Don Pedro’s plan of proposal that night
Men and other partygoers enter, and put on their masks
Women cannot tell who the men are, and music begins as dancers pair off
Don Pedro dances with Hero, and starts to flirt with her
Benedick dances with Beatrice, who doesn’t recognize him, or pretends not to
She insults Benedick in front of him, saying he thinks he is witty while others find him boring
Don John sees Don Pedro with Hero, and makes Claudio jealous by telling him that Don Pedro has decided to keep Hero for himself
Pretending to not recognize Claudio, Don John refers to him as Benedick
Mentions that contrary to their plan, Don Pedro keeps Hero for himself and wants to marry her that night
Claudio believes Don John, and when the real Benedik enters, the depressed Claudio rushes out
When Don Pedro comes in with Hero and Leonato, Benedick learns that Don Pedro stuck to his word after all, he won Hero over for Claudio
Benedick still remains bitter about Beatrice’s comments
When Beatrice approaches with Claudio, Benedict begs Don Pedro to send him on an errand so he doesn’t have to be in her company
Don Pedro laughingly insists that he stays, but he leaves anyways
When Claudio returns, Don Pedro tells him that Hero has agreed to marry Claudio, and Leonato approves
Claudio, overwhelmed, can barely speak, but he and Hero privately make their promises to each other
Beatrice half-seriously says she’ll never find a husband, Don Pedro offers himself to her
Beatrice, compares him to fancy clothes, and wishes to have him but says he would be too lavish and valuable for her to wear
Leonato and Claudio discuss when Claudio will marry Hero
Claudio wants wedding to be next day, Leonato decides it will be on the following Monday, a week away
Claudio regrets the wait will be too long
Don Pedro finds a good way to pass the time, with the help from all of his friends, he will design a plan to get Benedick and Beatrice to stop arguing and fall in love with each other
He secures the promises of Leonato, Claudio, and Hero to help
Benedick’s friends start to enact their plan to make him and Beatrice fall in love
Benedick is wandering around the garden, wondering aloud, knowing love makes men into idiots, but any intelligent man can fall in love
Wonders how Claudio turned from a practical soldier to a moony-eyed lover
Benedick thinks it's unlikely he’ll ever become a lover
Benedick hears Don Pedro, Claudio, and Leonato approaching and he decides to hide among the trees in the arbor and eavesdrop
Don Pedro and Claudio notice him, and decide to quietly enact their plan into effect
Begin to talk loudly, pretending they have just learned that Beatrice has fallen in love with Benedick
Benedick, in shock, asks himself if this can be true
The three men embellish the story, saying how passionately Beatrice adores Benedick, and how they are afraid her passion will drive her insane or cause her to commit suicide
She doesn’t want to tell Benedick, because she thinks he will make fun of her, since everyone knows what his mocking personality is like
All argue that Benedick would be a fool to turn her away, because of how unworthy he is of her
Others go in to have dinner, with the amazed Benedick emerging from the arbor, plunged into a profound thought
Don Pedro’s plan has worked, Benedick decides he will “take pity” upon the witty and virtuous Beatrice by loving her in return
Decide he wants to marry Beatrice instead of being an eternal bachelor
Beatrice appears, being tasked with fetching Benedick for dinner
She treats him normally, but he treats Beatrice with an unusual flattery
Confused, beatrice mocks him again before departing
Benedick interprets these words as containing hidden messages of love, and runs off to have a portrait of her made so he carry it around with him
Act III
Elsewhere, Don Pedro, Claudio, and Leonato begin to tease Benedick about his decision never to marry
Benedick announces that he has changed, and the others agree, they have noticed that he is much quieter
They say that he must be in love and tease him about it, Benedick takes Leonato aside to speak with him
As soon as Claudio and Don Pedro are left alone, Don John approaches them
He tells them that he is trying to protect Don Pedro’s reputation and save Claudio from a bad marriage
Hero is a whore, he says, and Claudio should not marry her
The two are shocked, of course, but Don John immediately offers them proof:
He tells them to come with him that night to watch outside Hero’s window where they will see her making love to somebody else.
Claudio, already suspicious and paranoid, resolves that if what he sees tonight does indeed prove Hero’s unfaithfulness, he will disgrace her publicly during the wedding ceremony the next day, and Don Pedro vows to assist him
In a street outside Leonato’s house, the town policemen of Messina—collectively called the Watch—gather together to discuss their duties for the night.
Dogberry, the head constable, and Verges, his deputy, command and govern them
Dogberry and Verges are well intentioned and take their jobs very seriously, but they are also ridiculous
Dogberry is a master of malapropisms, always getting his words just slightly wrong.
Under Dogberry, the Watch is very polite but not very effective at deterring crime
As Dogberry gives his orders to his men, it becomes clear that the Watch is charged with doing very little
Furthermore, the Watch is supposed to order drunkards to go home and sleep their drunkenness off—unless the drunkards won’t listen, in which case the men are to ignore them
Dogberry gives his men a final order: act particularly vigilant near the house of Leonato, for Leonato’s daughter, Hero, is to be married the next day, and the house is filled with commotion and chaos
After Dogberry and Verges depart, the men they have left behind sit down quietly on a bench and prepare to go to sleep
Suddenly, the watchmen are interrupted by the entrance of Don John’s associates, Borachio and Conrad
Borachio, who does not see the watchmen, informs Conrad about what has happened that night
Acting on the plan he developed with Don John, Borachio made love to Margaret, Hero’s waiting maid, at the window of Hero’s room, with Margaret dressed in Heroes clothing
Don Pedro and Claudio, who were hiding nearby with Don John, saw the whole thing and are now convinced that Hero has been disloyal to Claudio
Claudio, feeling heartbroken and betrayed, has vowed to take revenge upon Hero by publicly humiliating her at the wedding ceremony the next day
The watchmen, who have quietly listened to this whole secretive exchange, now reveal themselves and arrest Borachio and Conrade for “lechery,” by which they mean treachery
They haul them away to Dogberry and Verges for questioning.
Just as Leonato prepares to enter the church for his daughter’s wedding, Dogberry and Verges catch up with Leonato and try to talk to him
They explain that they have caught two criminals and want to interrogate them in front of him
However, their attempts to communicate their message are so long-winded, foolish, and generally mixed up that they fail to convey how urgent the matter is—and, in fact, they may not understand its importance themselves
Leonato defers their business, explaining that he is busy that day, and orders Dogberry and Verges to question the men themselves and tell him about it later
Dogberry and Verges head off to question the prisoners on their own, and Leonato enters the church in order to participate in the wedding ceremony about to take place
Act IV
Everyone gathers inside the church to celebrate the wedding of Claudio and Hero
But when Friar Francis asks Claudio whether he wishes to marry Hero, Claudio breaks into an outraged speech
He tells Leonato that he sends Hero back to Leonato again, for though she seems outwardly pure and blushes with innocence, her outward features belie her inward corruption and that she is, in fact, an unchaste, unfaithful whore
The happy wedding transforms itself into a chaotic uproar, Leonato and the shaken Hero ask what Claudio means
Claudio tells Leonato, in front of everyone in the church, that the night before Claudio, Don pedro and Don John watched Hero talk with a man and have sexual encounters with him before
Don Pedro supports Claudio’s accusations, and they, together with Don John, accuse Hero of sexual looseness
Leonato cries out in despair, asking for a dagger with which to commit suicide
The overwhelmed Hero sinks to the ground, unconscious. Benedick and Beatrice rush to offer her their assistance, while Claudio, Don Pedro, and Don John leave the church without looking back
Leonato, weeping, tells Benedick and Beatrice to let Hero die, since that would be better than for her to live in shame
Beatrice, however, remains absolutely convinced that her cousin has been slandered
Suddenly and unexpectedly, the friar steps in, a quiet observer to the whole proceeding, he has wisely determined from the expressions of shock he has seen on Hero’s face that she is not guilty of unfaithfulness
Hero regains consciousness and insists that she is a virgin, that she has been entirely faithful to Claudio, and that she has no idea what her accusers are talking about
The intelligent Benedick realizes that if the accusation is a lie, it must originate with the troublemaking Don John, who would happily trick these two to spoil their happiness.
The friar comes up with an unexpected plan: he suggests that Hero’s existence be concealed, and that Leonato tell everyone she has died of shock and grief
When her accusers hear that an innocent woman has died, their anger will turn into regret, and they will start to remember what a virtuous lady Hero was
If the accusation really is a trick, then perhaps the treachery will expose itself, and Hero can return to the world. In the worst-case scenario, Hero can later be taken off quietly and placed in a convent to become a nun, Leonato agrees to go along with the plan
The others depart with Hero, leaving Benedick and Beatrice alone together
Benedick, trying to comfort Beatrice, asks if there is any way he can show his friendship to her
He suddenly confesses that he is in love with her, acknowledging how strange it is for his affections to reverse so suddenly, and she, equally startled and confused, replies in similar terms
But when Benedick says that he will do anything for Beatrice, she asks him to kill his friend Claudio, Benedick refuses.
Angry, Beatrice denounces Claudio’s savagery, saying that if she were a man she would kill him herself for his slander of her cousin and the cruelty of his trick
After listening to her, Benedick changes his mind and soberly agrees to challenge Claudio—for the wrong that he has done to Hero and for Beatrice’s sake.
Elsewhere, Dogberry, Verges, and the Watch interrogate Borachio and Conrad
Borachio confesses that he received money from Don John for pretending to make love to Hero and then lying about it to Claudio and Don Pedro
When they hear about what has happened at the wedding, the watchmen tie up the captives and take them to Leonato’s house
Act V
Leonato, Hero’s father, falls into a state of deep grief and shock, torn by his worries about whether Hero is indeed chaste as she claims and his questions about what actually occurred, he cannot function
His brother Antonio tries to cheer him, telling him to have patience
But Leonato answers that although people can easily give advice when they themselves are not unhappy, people in great pain cannot follow the advice so easily
Don pedro and Claudio enter, see Leonato and Antonio, and quickly try to leave
But Leonato follows them and accuses Claudio of having lied about Hero and having caused her death
Leonato announces that, despite his great age, he challenges Claudio to a duel for the crime Claudio has committed against Hero by ruining her good name; Leonato states that he is not too old to kill or die for honor and for the love of his child
The embarrassed Claudio and Don Pedro pretend to ignore their challengers
Finally, Leonato and Antonio leave, vowing that they will have their revenge
After Leonato and Antonio depart, Benedick enters
Claudio and Don Pedro welcome him, asking Benedick to employ his famous wit to cheer them up
But Benedick is in no mood to be funny, he tells Claudio that he believes Claudio has slandered Hero, and he quietly challenges him to a duel
When the other two keep on trying to joke with him, Benedick finally discloses that he can no longer be their companion since their slanderous accusations have murdered an innocent woman
Benedick informs Don Pedro that Don John has fled the city and leave
At first, Claudio and Don Pedro take in this change in Benedick’s behavior and the information of Don John’s flight with shock and confusion
Slowly they begin to realize Benedick’s serious intent—and they rightly guess that his love for Beatrice must be the only thing that could have motivated him
Dogberry and Verges suddenly enter, accompanied by the other men of the Watch, dragging behind them the captured villains Conrad and Borachio
Dogberry tells Claudio and Don Pedro that Borachio has confessed to treachery and lying, and Borachio admits his crime again
Shocked and horrified, Claudio and Don Pedro realize that this information supports Hero’s true innocence and that she has died
Leonato and Antonio return, and Claudio and Don Pedro beg Leonato’s forgiveness, offering themselves up to any punishment Leonato thinks fit for killing his daughter with wrongful accusations
Leonato orders Claudio to clear Hero’s name by telling the entire city that she was innocent and to write her an epitaph—that is, a poem honoring her in death—and to read and sing it at her tomb
He also tells Claudio that Antonio has a daughter who is very much like Hero, and he asks Claudio to marry his niece in Hero’s place in order to make up for the lost Hero
Claudio, weeping at Leonato’s generosity, accepts these terms. Leonato orders that Borachio be carted away for further interrogation
Meanwhile, near Leonato’s home, Benedick asks Margaret to bring Beatrice to speak to him, alone, he laments his inability to write poetry
He has unsuccessfully attempted to write Beatrice a love sonnet according to the flowery and ornamental conventions of Renaissance love poetry
Ironically, despite his great skill at improvising in conversation, he is no good at all at writing
Beatrice arrives, and the two lovers flirt and tease each other with gentle insults but also with great affection—as they now seem always to have done
Benedick tells Beatrice he has challenged Claudio to a duel according to her wishes and that Claudio must respond to his challenge soon
Suddenly, the maid Ursula arrives in great haste to tell them that the scheme against Hero has come to light
Benedick pledges his love to Beatrice once again, and the two follow Ursula to Leonato and the rest of the house, which is in an uproar
Early in the morning, at the tomb where Hero supposedly lies buried, Claudio carries out the first part of the punishment that Leonato has ordered him to perform
Claudio has written an epitaph, or death poem, celebrating Hero’s innocence and grieving the slander that (he believes) led to her death
He reads the epitaph out loud and hangs it upon the tomb, he solemnly promises that he will come and read it here at this time every year
Everyone then goes off to prepare for Claudio’s wedding to Leonato’s niece, the supposed Hero look-alike, which is to occur that very day
Meanwhile, in the church, Leonato, Antonio, Beatrice, Benedick, Hero, Margaret, Ursula, and the friar prepare for the second wedding of Claudio and Hero
We learn from their conversation that Margaret has been interrogated, and that she is innocent of conspiring with Borachio and Don John—she never realized that she was taking part in Don John’s treachery
Benedick is also very relieved that Don John’s trick has come to light, for now he does not need to fight his friend Claudio
Quietly, Benedick also takes Leonato aside and asks him for his permission to marry Beatrice
Don Pedro and Claudio enter, and Antonio goes off to fetch the masked women
While they are waiting, Don Pedro and Claudio tease Benedick about his love for Beatrice and about the fact that he will soon be married, although they do not know that he actually does plan to be married that very day
Hero, Beatrice, and the waiting women enter, all wearing masks, Claudio vows to marry the masked woman by his side, whom he believes to be Leonato’s mysterious niece
But when Hero takes off her mask, the shocked Claudio realizes that it really is Hero
Leonato and Hero tell him that now that Hero’s name has been cleared, she can figuratively come back to life and be his wife, as she should have been before
The party prepares to go to the chapel to finish the ceremony, but Benedick stops everybody
He asks Beatrice, out loud and in public, whether she loves him, Beatrice denies it, and Benedick, in turn, denies loving her
They both agree that they are good friends, but not in love, but, laughingly, Claudio and Hero tell them that they know that isn’t the truth—and both whip out scribbled, half-finished love poems that they have found in their friends’ rooms and pockets, written from Benedick to Beatrice and from Beatrice to Benedick
Benedick and Beatrice realize that they have been caught red-handed and, giving in, finally agree to marry
Benedick silences Beatrice, for the first time, by kissing her
Claudio and Don Pedro begin to tease Benedick again, but Benedick laughingly says that he does not care—he remains determined to be married, and nothing he has ever said against marriage in the past makes any difference to him now
He and Claudio assert their friendship again, and Benedick calls for a dance before the double wedding
Suddenly, a messenger rushes in to inform the company that Leonato’s men have arrested Don John on his flight from Messina
They have brought him back to Messina a prisoner
Benedick instructs Don Pedro to put off thinking about the villain until tomorrow when Benedick will invent fine tortures for him
In the meantime, Benedick insists that all must dance joyfully in celebrating the marriages, and he commands the pipers to strike up the music
