Many elements of Poe's story serve a double purpose for reasons of economy. Poe's main reason for giving his character Fortunato a bad cold was to make it difficult for him to talk. Here is the most significant dialogue pertaining to Fortunato's cold:
"How long have you had that cough!"
"Ugh! ugh! ugh! -- ugh! ugh! ugh! --ugh! ugh! ugh! --ugh! ugh! ugh! -- ugh! ugh! ugh!
My poor friend found it impossible to reply for many minutes.
The bad cold of the intended victim makes his motivation to sample the Amontillado appear even stronger. It gives Montresor excuses to urge him to turn back (thereby showing his friendship and lack of any sinister motive). It causes Fortunato to drink more wine, thereby becoming drunker and easier to beguile. But most importantly it prevents Fortunato from asking a lot of awkward questions. Poe specified in his famous review of Hawthorne's Twice-Told Tales that not a single word should be included in a short story which did not contribute to the single effect; yet he uses fifteen "ughs!" This means the cold is very important.
If Fortunato hadn't been hampered by his cough he would almost certainly have asked such questions as:
When did you buy this Amontillado?
Whom did you buy it from?
Who was the exporter?
How much did you pay for it?
Who was the dealer?
Why did you store the cask so far from the bottom of the staircase?
Where are you taking me?!!
Poe avoids all such questions by the simple expedient of giving Fortunato a bad cold. Evidently Fortunato knows more about Amontillado than Montresor, so Montresor would have had a hard time answering questions about his non-existent cask of Amontillado, and Fortunato's suspicions would have been aroused.
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