The Black Cat And The Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allan Poe

No matter which short story by Edgar Allan Poe one analyzes, one common trait among all of them is apparent instantly: all of them are scary, unsettling, and at times downright horrifying. Many stories feature death, which serves as a powerful tool for the motivation of characters and the outcome of their decisions. Another element commonly met in numerous stories by Poe is the supernatural one. It is often implemented subtly to the point that the reader may start to wonder whether the narrator in the story loses his/her mind, or something beyond human that influences the flow of events. If you look at Poe's arguably most famous short stories "The Black Cat" and "The Cask of Amontillado" they appear to be quite different since the main characters

It is the most significant event in the life of the character, when it comes to the two short stories in question. Murder seals their fate and puts them on the other side beyond the line of no return. For the main character in "The Black Cat" it is not even the murder of the wife but the murder of Pluto for no good reason. The first step to the point of no return is made when the narrator cuts out one of Pluto's eyes in rage even though the animal was the last one to avoid his wrath for the longest time. After this occasion, the character becomes engulfed in the feeling of irrationality. He loses the ability to determine cause and effect of what is happening around him due to his actions, therefore he subjects himself to complete moral insensitivity to the point that he still attempts to justify himself to the agents of law (Gargano, p.178). Murder of the innocent Pluto becomes the event from which there is no recovery. If he kills a pet whom he used to love greatly, killing his wife becomes just matter of time when he experiences yet another mood swing, yet another instance of alcohol

Moreover, it is a murder done as a tool that he uses to protect his honor and dignity. The scariest thing about Montresor's murder is that the only mention of Fortunato's disrespect is in Montresor's own tale. There is no other evidence that Fortunato was indeed disrespectful to Montresor. He comes off as a representative of aristocracy who likes to have fun at various parties and enjoy exquisite alcoholic beverages. Yet, he does not appear to be a severely negative character who would deserve such a horrible untimely end. It is implied that Montresor is crazy and could have imagined the insult towards him. The fact that he does not explain at all the reasons for his actions indicates that he might not have wanted to come across Fortunato's reaction, who would immediately start persuading Montresor that the insult never took place. Montresor murders an innocent person in a particularly cruel way inducing as much horror and desperation within the victim before death is possible. Thankfully, the author omits how Fortunato feels in his last moments when there is either not enough air or water after his prison is