Obsession in The Tell-Tale Heart and The Cask of Amontillado :: Tell Tale Cask Comparison Compare Essays

Determination becomes arrested development and then it becomes all that matters.-- Jeremy IrvinePoe presents the narrators of The Tell-Tale Heart and The Cask of Amontillado as devious, obsessed characters. Both are overpowered by the need to consume the look of their victim. Though they use contrastive strategies to carry out the murders in different ways, obsession is the driving force in both. It is this obsession that inspires them to design silken strategies and carry out the executions. The obsession of Montresor in The Cask of Amontillado and of the narrator in The Tell-Tale Heart is obvious throughout the stories. The narrator in The Tell-Tale Heart is in truth obsessed with the old mans ticker, rather than the old man himself. It is this obsession with the eye that drives him to commit the murder, despite his relatively good feelings toward the old man personally. This is wherefore he is unable to disability the old man when the eye is concealed. His obsess ion with the eye is what checkers him and his actions. Without it in sight to enrage this obsession, he is unable to harm the old man. This also is why he must shine the lantern miniature upon only that eye. By leaving the rest of the old man in the dark, he in a sense de-humanizes the victim. His obsession intensifies and takes full control of his actions. He eliminates the old man from the equation and is able to charge him and nominate the kill. Montresor in The Cask of Amontillado is similar to the narrator in The Tell-Tale Heart in that his obsession with consuming the soul of Fortunato influences his every action. However, it is with Fortunato himself that he is obsessed. He feeds withdraw of Fortunatos pain, unlike the narrator in The Tell-Tale Heart whos obsession is with destroying a imperil inanimate object. Montresors entire conspiracy is focused around making Fortunato suffer, and for him to hump just who is causing this suffering. This is why he goes to such lengths to put unitedly this intricate strategy. It could have been so much easier to kill Fortunato in most easier, quicker way. Instead, he dedicates himself to torturing Fortunato. He creates a plan that leads Fortunato into the depths of the catacombs beneath his home, and kills him in an excruciating manner.