1. COMPARISON OF THE STORIES OF EDGAR ALLAN POE
Story The Tell-Tale Heart The Black Cat The Masque of the Red Death
The three stories are stories of plot, because in all of them the most important element is the story been being told. The tell-tale heart is the only circular
story, because it begins by telling that the protagonist kills a man and then goes on describing how he prepared the murder. The other two are lineal stories
Kind of Story as the they follow a chronological series of events.
Poe's intention is to create suspense, to provoke fear in the reader, he also deals with madness and death in a way that makes the reader reflect about
Intention them.
In The Tell-Tale Heart and The Black Cat human values are lost mainly because of madness, but in the case of The Masque Of The Red Death the
protagonist shows a lack of values from the very beginning although he is not mad. Prince Pospero closes his eyes to the real world that is outside his
Human Values castle, he is arrogant and feels superior, he thinks that nothing can harm him if he locks himself in his secure castle, not even death.
Structural Devices
the reference to the old mans eye gives unity to
Unity the story The character of the cat gives unity to the story. the idea of death gives unity to the story
There is contrast between the poor and desolated
domains of Prince Prospero and the richness and
The protagonists says that he is docile with a tender sumptuousity inside the abbey. Outside there is
heart, he is fond of animals, but in spite of that he is illness and death, citizens are sad and hopeless;
annoyed by his cat and finally kills him The cat is but inside the abbey there is happiness and wealth.
entirely black although the protagonist does not Outside people die, inside people celebrate. Prince
In this story there is a strong contrast between the believe that it brings bad luck. the protagonist has Prospero is a contradiction in himself, as the prince
feeling of the protagonist towards the old man. He contrasting feelings, he loves the cat but he feels he has to care for his people and his domains, but
says he loves him, but he hates his eye. The irritated by him, after hurting the cat he feels guilty instead he turns his back to them. The name of the
protagonist declares himself sane, but he is really and grieved when the animal rejects him, but then prince is another contradiction because Prospero is
mad. He treats the old man with kindness but he he become perverse again and he brutally kills the a good name, it means prosperity but he brings
Contrast is planning to kill him. cat. desolation and poverty to his people.
There are many significant descriptions in this story,
first of all, the description of the abbey, so strong
and secure as a fort to keep everybody inside away
Poe describes in detail how the protagonist's from death. The chambers of the abbey, each one
senses are sharpened, he can hear everything with a different colour and a particular ornamented
from earth and from hell, and this ability style. The ebony clock standing in the black
eventually proves to be bad for him because it chamber that is important because it marks the
makes him reveal he is the killer. The description passing of time, which brings death nearer. The
of the old man's eye and the beating of his heart description of the Red Death, which is personified
are very important as they are the only two things and concealed behind a mask that resembles a
Descriptions that bothers the protagonist. stiffened corpse.
Dialogs There are no dialogues in Poe's stories.
Sense Devices
Poe's highly ornamented literary style is quite difficult and complicated to understand. He uses short sentences to create suspense, and a special
Style vocabulary, all connected with horror, fear and death to create a gloomy atmosphere.
The three stories have a quite fast pace of narrative, I think The black cat has a slower development of events than the other two because it describes more
Pace of Narrative in detail the character's life and feelings.
In this story we can find alliteration (I heard all
things.... I heard many things...); similies (his
room was as black as pitch...) (a simple dim ray,
like the thread of a spider...) (it increased my fury
as the beating of the drum stimulates the soldier
into courage); and paradozas when he says he is
not mad, but then we realise he is, or when he
Words, Metaphors and says that he was never kinder to the old man than
Images the week he kills him. (?) (?)
Satirical Passages I could not find satirical passages in any of Poe's stories.

2. COMPARISON OF THE STORIES OF EDGAR ALLAN POE
The description of the protagonist as a very docile
Poe describes the killer intentions and reasons in and tender makes the reader believe that he is a
an attempt to make the reader sympathize with good character and so he sympathizes with him.
him. He also describes his feelings and emotions The protagonist in the first part of the story, seems
in every of his actions for the reader to to be a very kind and fragile person who loves
understand his motives. Another important factor animals since childhood, and who has many
is that the killer does not have a name, because it domestic animals at home although his favorite one The writer does not try to provoke sympathy for
Sympathy could be anyone in his place. is a big and entirely black cat. Prospero.
This story deals with death and how people are
Personally, this story left me thinking about killers, always trying to avoid and retard it. But we cannot
are they all mad? do they plan every detail of their escape from death, sooner or later it will find us no
murder? is there a person able to kill somebody in matter wherever we are or whatever we do to hide
Morally Significance cold blood without no apparent reason? (hurting those we love most?) ourselves from it.
About the Story
Narrator This story has a first person narrator, it is also an unreliable narrator because of his madness. This story has an omniscient narrator.
This story is set inside an abbey, and we may infer
that the event happens during the times of the
Setting The story is set in the house of the old man. This story is set in the house of the protagonist. Black Death.
Atmosphere The three stories have a gloomy atmosphere, full of death and madness. The events take place mostly at night and in dim and dark places.
Conclusion
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