Cask of Amontillado and the Necklace
Character Correspondence Characters of many different persona's can have a numerous amount of the same feelings that motivate them. The main character in “The Cask of Amontillado,” Montresor, by Edgar Allen Poe and the main character in “The Necklace,” Mathilde, by Guy de Maupassant are good representatives for this. Montresor and Mathilde have some of the same catalysts that cause their actions, megalomania, resentment and revenge. Montresor's lust for power is indicative of his megalomania. When Montresor gets power he takes pleasure in it, even in obscene situations. When Fortunato is chained up and becomes un-intoxicated he starts to realize what has happened and starts to rattle the chains, Montresor remarks on the event, “the noise lasted for several minutes, during which, that I might hearken to it with the more satisfaction, I ceased my labors and sat down upon the bones.” Montresor finds joy in hearing a chained man struggle so that he may not be murdered. Once he gets this power over Fortunato he basks in it. Likewise, Mathilde shows some characteristics of megalomania, however it is in a less grotesque way. When Mathilde got to the ball she got what she wanted more then anything, to be in power and to be the best. “She danced with intoxication, with passion, made drunk by pleasure, forgetting all, in the triumph of her beauty, in the glory of her success, in a sort of cloud of happiness composed of all this homage, of all this admiration, of all these awakened desires, and of that sense of complete victory which is so sweet.” Like Montresor, when she finds the power over others she basks in it, dancing and taking every advantage of her success. Although the two powers over others are so different, they both take the time to enjoy it, as well as having strived so hard to get this power. Next, Montresor feels resentment towards Fortunato for having the high economic status he once had. Montresor quietly shows that he is jealous of