“I shall not die of a cough.” Montresor always joked about death. And he makes is almost seem funny, until the end. Poe uses “dark” humor to lighten up the story. Montresor decided to get Fortunato drunk way of getting a chance to kill fortunate for revenge.
Montresor was out to kill him, he got him heavily intoxicated and in the perfect position for optimal vulnerability. He led Fortunato