The narrators are presented as men who are pleased with the acts which they have committed, but yet, are haunted by the horrifying memories. The fact that the murderers are haunted by their own deeds, convey the large scale of horror associated with the events of the story. In ‘’The Cask of Amontillado’’, the reason for the crime committed is given. ‘’The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge.’’ Revenge is usually associated with death. This therefore creates tension and fear. Conventionally, revenge is satisfying. However, the way in which the narrator expresses himself implies a sense of regret. ‘’You, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that I gave utterance to a threat.’’ Form this statement it can be deduced that the narrator is conversing with someone who knows him well. He states that it was not like him to threaten someone, which implies that he was an innocent man. The narrator in ‘’The Tell-Tale Heart’’, is also pleased with his evil deed. ’’Hearken! And observe how healthily –how calmly I can tell you the whole story.’’ He uses ‘calmly’ to describe the way in which he will describe the events of his act. This therefore shows the reader that this man may be mentally unstable, thus creating tension. The narrator in ‘’The Black Cat’’ Is presented as innocent man. The story is designed as a confession of the crime which he has committed. He is about to be executed and recalls how he was overpowered by evil forces. The fact that the man’s actions were against his normal will, and that he was innocently part of such a horrifying act causes the reader to fear that they may be vulnerable to similar experiences.
Setting plays a crucial part in the development of the horror theme of the stories. All three stories are set in sinister surroundings. The events of ‘’The Cask of Amontillado’’ take place during the carnival season. The carnival season is known to be one where things always go wrong. Dreadful accidents occur and people often end up dead. This season is horrifying thus the reader should expect that something bad will happen. As the story proceeds, the narrator and his victim walk through underground pathways surrounded be dead bodies. Conventionally, the presence of death creates tension and a sense of horror. The narrator in ‘’The Tell-Tale Heart’’ stalks his victim at night. It is expected that violent and horrible, unpleasant things will happen because it is convention. The reader is also aware that it is dark and that evil is at its best in darkness. The setting of ‘’The Black Cat’’ varies. However the unpleasant events take place at nights. Superstition also creates a sinister atmosphere; therefore the reader is aware that something horrible will happen.
Poe’s Use of language immediately creates a sense of horror. In ‘’The Cask of Amontillado’’, the narrator describes the conditions in which he planed to punish his victim.’’ I must not only punish but punish with impunity.’’ Using the verb punish twice then completing the statement with the noun impunity, the narrator makes it clear to the reader that great pain will be inflicted on his victim. Pain is unpleasant and connotes injury or disease and suffering, thus intensifying tension and horror within the reader. In ‘’The Tell-Tale Heart’’, the narrator speaks of madness and disease. ‘’The disease had sharpened my senses….’’, ‘’How, then, am I mad?’’ Sickness and disease are usually associated with death, thus this helps induce the sinister and horrifying atmosphere. The narrator also personifies ‘Death’ to present it as a tangible force. ‘‘Death, in approaching him had stalked with his shadow before him……’’ Here, the word ‘stalks’ gives the impression that the death of the old man is inevitable and since the narrator is the agent of this death, suggests that he will go to an extent to kill the old man. This therefore intensifies tension and horror within the reader.
The development and structure of Poe’s stories are designed primarily to create tension and fear. In ‘’The cask of Amontillado’’ , the narrator describes in detail how he succeeded in carrying out his evil plot. Poe uses longer sentences o describe the events leading up to the actual murder. With a change in style he uses shorter sentences to describe the murder. ‘’A moment more and I had fettered him to the granite. In its surface were two iron staples, distant from each other, about two feet, horizontally.’’ The sentence creates tension as there are more pauses and more a lot of information its being given.
