When reading any of Edgar Allen Poe's works, the reader can almost expect a recurring theme that focuses on the narrator's questionable sanity and the overwhelming presence of death which guides the story to its resolution. The two stories compared are no exception to this theme as both are built on the thought-driven narrative of a seemingly mad man with a fervor for revenge. In both stories the reader is told about the main character, "The Cask of Amontillado" gives us Montresor and "The Tell-Tale Heart" is simply the narrator of the story, looking for a character to kill for vague reasons not fully explained. to the reader in a way that builds a picture of the way their mind works. As they both dictate how and why they intend to commit their crimes, the internal monologue provided by a first-person narrative paints a picture of the unstable emotional state and irrational thought process that gives the reader an idea of ​​how untrustworthy their reality actually is. account of the story. AND. This unreliable narration leaves the story open to interpretation whether the act of murder was committed justly or not, or simply just by the wrong 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 during the carnival period and notes how he told his attendants that “he should not return before morning and gave them explicit orders not to move from there.” the house." (Kirszner & Mandell 191) By the act of dismissing his people to enjoy the night, Montresor creates an environment to carry out his action without witnesses. Mont...... middle of paper .... .. it is important 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 he is calm in telling the story of how he killed the old man and how “Every time that (the eye) fell on (him), (his) blood grew cold; and so little by little – very gradually – (he) decided to take the life of the old man, and it would be free from the eye forever ” (Kirszner & Mandell 331) By stating why the narrator believes the eye has wronged him, he is trying to provide a good reason to end the life of an innocent old man. Both of these men constantly reassure not only themselves, but also the reader, that the acts they are committing are done in a way that gives each of them a clear awareness and ability to accept what was done as the right thing to do..