Evil in Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” and “The Black Cat”

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Definition of Evil
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Edgar Allan Poe is famous for his horrific and short stories, and The Cask of Amontillado and The Black Cat appear to be illustrative examples of his creativity. Both stories include the scenes of terrible murders committed by the main characters. The author intentionally uses the first-person point of view in order to reveal their thoughts and highlighting the dread of the happening. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to prove that they are pure evil, and they should be morally responsible for their deeds.

Definition of Evil

First of all, it is essential to start the analysis by defining the word ‘evil’. In general, this word implies the opposites to morality and kindness. This term is broad, and it may involve a range of behavioral patterns, which include harming people. It is also synonymous with wickedness and egoism to some extent. It should be highlighted that wicked people tend to avoid reflections on their deeds and harm to other people, and they are focused on their evil plans and their realization.

The Cask of Amontillado: Montresor

The Cask of Amontillado has two main characters, who are Fortunato and Montresor, and the latter appears to be evil in this story. In general, the whole composition is devoted to the communication process between these two characters. Montresor is willing to kill Fortunato, who had wronged him a great number of times, and he manages to do it. He uses Fortunato’s knowledge and love to wine in order to realize his murder plan. Montresor benefits from the drunk condition of the character and, in fact, buries him alive. In this regard, the wine symbolizes the fact that the crime was committed in a vault.

Therefore, in this story, Montresor appears to be pure evil. He plans the crime for the entire narration and creates appropriate conditions. After realizing his intention, he shows no sign of feeling guilty. The author makes Montresor the narrator of the whole story in order to highlight the horror of his actions. His thoughts do not include reflections on morals and empathy to his victim. Moreover, the character makes use of the trustful attitude of his victim to him. He describes: “I continued, as was my wont, to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation” (Poe, “The Cask of Amontillado”, 13). Consequently, Montresor is the illustration of pure evil, who lacks moral qualities and is capable of performing any crime on his way.

The Black Cat: The Narrator

The main character of The Black Cat stays unnamed throughout the story, though the sequence of events is narrated by him. In the beginning, he cut the eye of his cat, who was his friend. Unlike the case described above, the character comprehended his cruelty and felt guilty initially. Telling the story from the first person is helpful to trace his thoughts: “But this feeling soon gave place to irritation. And then came, as if to my final and irrevocable overthrow, the spirit of perverseness” (“Summary and Analysis “The Black Cat” 10). However, the man did not stop and killed his wife, who attempted to save the second cat from her husband’s fury.

It was an accident, though the man was unable to resist his anger and irritation, which caused the death of his dearest person. He thought: “The fury of a demon instantly possessed me. I knew myself no longer. My original soul seemed, at once, to take its flight from my body…” (Poe, “The Black Cat”, 18). The narrator did not find the courage to confess in his action when the police were investigating the case. The narrator overcomes the morals and causes harm to others, who surround him, without an ability to control, which makes him pure evil.

Another feature, which should be discussed in the analyses of The Black Cat implies the figure of animals. There are debates on the meaning of the cats in the story and what they symbolize. Considering the fact that they are black, they may regard a figure of a murdered slave, and this example reveals the evil of landlords in the past. According to the article “Pluto in The Black Cat”, “since Poe was writing before the abolition of slavery in the US, it’s likely that slavery was on his mind” (3). Another theory implies a figure of an animal symbolizing a child, which makes the story even more horrible and reveals the wickedness of the narrator.

Conclusion

In conclusion, both the evil characters should be morally responsible for their deeds. They have done significant harm to others, which led to death. In case they did not comprehend the dread of their actions, they would be highly likely to continue to do this, causing even more negative consequences for people. For this reason, it is crucial for the narrators of the stories to understand their mistakes.

References

“Pluto in the Black Cat.”Shmoop. n.d. Web.

“Summary and Analysis “The Black Cat”.CliffsNotes. n.d. Web.

Poe, E. A. “The Black Cat.”PoeStories.com. n.d. Web.

Poe, E. A. “The Cask of Amontillado.”The Poe Museum. n.d. Web.

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Evil in Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” and “The Black Cat”

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