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Sociopathy In The Cask Of Amontillado, By Edgar Allen Poe

1561 Words7 Pages

Gabriel Ferguson Professor Matsen ENGL-2035-W01 9 April 2023 Sociopathy & Psychopathy in Literature Empathy. Just like any mental illness there are series of assumptions that are made against those who have psychopathy or sociopathy. This fear of both sociopaths and psychopaths has been commonly reflected in literature over the past several centuries and even continues to this day. People fear the darker aspects of themselves, and many pieces of literature reflect this ingrained societal fear of what lurks both within and without. “The Cask of Amontillado,” by Edgar Allen Poe, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson, and “I Hold Your Hand in Mine,” by Tom Lehrer each convey characters that exhibit signs of sociopathy, …show more content…

While it is possible for an individual with these disorders to live a life of peace, literature can be used to reflect fears within a given society, which is why it commonly depicts the potential violence of anti-social personality disorders. One of the ways that it can be presented in literature is through the perspective of the character themself. Montressor from the short story “The Cask of Amontillado,” by Edgar Allen Poe, fits Pemmet’s classification of sociopathy through his self-defined moral code. This short story is told from the perspective of the nobleman Montresor, as he manipulates another fellow aristocrat into following him into the Montresor family crypt through promises of fine wine. After luring his quarry deep into his family crypts Montresor shackles Fortunato and locks him behind a wall of stone. Internal narration is useful for categorizing Montresor as a sociopath because from his perspective we get to better understand his different version of morality. “I must not only punish but punish with impunity ... It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong” (Poe 1). Here he lays out the foundation …show more content…

In Robert Louis Stevenson’s literary classic, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, this struggle between the two takes the form of a man split in two. Throughout the story the true identity of Mr. Hyde is kept secret until the very end where it is revealed that both Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are the same being. This plot twist is one of the most famous plot twists in literary history and demonstrates the hidden nature of many mental disorders. Dr. Jekyll represents the good aspects of human beings, whereas Mr. Hyde instead represents the momentary desires of an almost animalistic nature. Dr. Jekyll hesitantly accepts this part of himself and uses this half as a means of

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