When reading any of Edgar Allen Poe's works, the reader can almost expect a recurring theme that focuses on mental health doubtfulness of the narrator and the overwhelming presence of death that drives the story to its resolution. The two stories being compared are no exception to this theme as both are built on the thoughtful account of a seemingly mad man with a vengeful fervor. In both stories the reader talks about the main character, "The Cask of Amontillado" gives us Montresor and "The Tell-Tale Heart" is simply the narrator of the story, who is looking for a character to assassinate for vague reasons not entirely explained . to the reader in a way that gives them an idea of ​​how their mind works. As both dictate how and why they plan to commit their crimes, the inner monologue provided by a first-person narrative paints a picture of the unstable emotional state and irrational thought process that gives the reader insight into the lack of reliability of his account of history. East. This unreliable account leaves the story open to interpretation as to whether the act of murder was committed justly, or simply the misguided actions of two crazy characters. The careful and meticulous planning of the murders committed in both stories shows a similarity between the minds. of the two main characters. In "The Cask of Amontillado", Montresor constructs his plot to take place around the time of the carnival and notes how he told his servants that he "should not return until morning and gave them explicit orders not to move.” the house. (Kirszner & Mandell 191) By sending his people away to enjoy the night, Montresor creates an environment to carry out his deed without any witnesses. Mont...... middle of paper ......t is keen to show that Montresor believes that if Fortunato finds out about his act of revenge, he is just as bad as Fortunato. The narrator takes a similar approach by stating how calm he is when telling the story of how he murdered the old man and how "each time (the eye) fell on (him), (his ) blood froze; and so little by little – very gradually – (he) decided to take the life of the old man, and that got rid of the eye forever. (Kirszner & Mandell 331) By explaining why the narrator feels that the eye has wronged him, he is trying to provide a good reason for ending the life of an innocent old man. These two men constantly reassure not only themselves, but also the reader, that the acts they commit are committed in a way that gives each of them a clear conscience and the ability to accept what was done as the right thing to do..