Final answer:
Fortunado in 'The Cask of Amontillado' is best characterized as prideful, mainly due to his confidence in his wine connoisseurship, which leads him to trust Montresor and face his eventual demise. The correct answer is option C.
Step-by-step explanation:
In The Cask of Amontillado, Fortunado can be characterized as prideful. This is seen through his self-assuredness regarding his wine connoisseurship, which he prides himself on as compared to other Italians, whom he considers less knowledgeable in the matter of wines. His pride is what leads him to follow Montresor into the catacombs, under the promise of tasting a rare wine called Amontillado, ultimately leading to his downfall. In contrast to being prideful, the options of being a recluse, a pathological liar, or deceptive are not supported by the text. Fortunado is not shown to be a recluse or deceptive, and while he does boast about his expertise, there is no evidence to categorize him as a pathological liar.