Psychology of Madness

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Hello! I'm currently writing a paper about Poe's two works: "The Cask of Amontillado" and "The Tell-Tale Heart". I'm trying to focus the paper on Poe's dealings with murderers and their psychology (madness). Any ideas?

-- Anonymous, November 22, 2004

Answers

Well the tell-tale heart and the cask of amontillado are two diferent perspectives on merders and there psychology. in the tell- tale heart the man is drivine insane by a glass eye, murders the man and his guilt instead of the eye drives him insane so to cure it he gives in. The glass eye stares at him and he feels guilty about something, then as the body lies beneath him and the police he feels the heart of the man, and he feels guilty. So i would say that the tell tale heart is based on guilt. The cask of amontillado, i wouldnt say he was mad. If you research, back in europe, especially in german, if a man did wrong to your family, and you the later kiln met up with that man or one of his family you are to kill them. Basically you would be carying out a family sitution, back then it was dealt with by killing the other family and members. I hope i have that clear for you to understand, if not email me. so the reason for his murder was family duty, and he felt no remorse because he understood that it was to happen.

-- Anonymous, November 30, 2004

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