In The Cask of Amontillado which descriptions of Fortunato shape your impression of him the most? Explain.

The third paragraph of “The Cask of Amontillado” contains,
in its obvious implications, a great deal of information about Montresor and Fortunato,
showing that Poe was acting in accordance with his own dictum: "In the whole composition
there should be no word written, of which the tendency, direct or indirect, is not to
the one pre-established design."

The first two sentences of
the third paragraph tell a great deal about
Fortunato:

He
had a weak point—this Fortunato—although in other regards he was a man to be respected
and even feared. He prided himself on his connoisseurship in
wine.

We know a lot about his
connoisseurship, but it isn’t until the end of the tale that we see why Fortunato is “a
man to be respected and even feared.” When Montresor has him chained to the wall,
Fortunato tries using applied psychology to work his way out of the
trap.

“Ha!
ha! ha! – he! he! – a very good joke indeed – an excellent jest. We will have many a
rich laugh about it at the palazzo – he! he! he! – over our wine – he! he!
he!”

 “The Amontillado!” I
said.

“He! he! he -- he! he! he! -- yes, the Amontillado.
But is it not getting late? Will not they be awaiting us at the palazzo, the Lady
Fortunato and the rest? Let us be
gone.”

Fortunato is
pretending he thinks this is a jest. He does this in order to give his captor a pretext
for releasing him if Montresor should change his mind about leaving him there to die.
Fortunato is reminding Montresor that they are good friends and suggesting that they
will be even closer in the future when Fortunato entertains him at his palazzo. Chances
are that Montresor is rarely if ever invited to Fortunato’s home because of the
difference in their social positions. (Such slights would be among those “thousand
injuries.”) Fortunato knows his friendship is of value to Montresor, who would not have
put up with so many injuries over a long period of time if he had not gotten something
important in return.

The third paragraph of the story
suggests that they both deal in luxury items such as paintings, statues, antiques,
gemmary, and probably imported gourmet wines. No doubt Montresor has benefited
financially from knowing Fortunato. They may have gone into partnerships on short-term
acquisitions and sales of expensive items. Montresor might have even borrowed money from
Fortunato and might have received finders fees for putting his friend onto lucrative
investments.

Fortunato knows that Montresor’s greatest
concern would have to be about being suspected of causing his disappearance. He is
suggesting that people will remember seeing them together. When he asks, “Will they not
be awaiting us?” he implies that a number of people have seen them
together on the streets and assumed they were headed toward Fortunato’s palazzo. Also,
in saying that Lady Fortunato and the rest are awaiting them,” he is doing more than
implying that Montresor is to be welcomed into his family and elite social circle; he is
suggesting that a search party of relatives, friends and servants might be organized
that very night if Fortunato fails to turn up.

But
Montresor took pains to establish that Fortunato was not "engaged" anywhere, so he won’t
be missed until at least the following day when there will be empty streets and a cold
trail. Montresor knows very well that if he released his captive now, Fortunato would
probably have him murdered. Fortunato “is a man to be respected and even
feared.”