Cask of Amontillado and Mad Dog
Write an essay discussing the similarities and differences between the main
characters of the short stories “The Cask of Amontillado” and “I’m a Mad Dog Biting
Myself for sympathy”. (500 words)
Both Montressor and the unnamed narrator are resentful for different reasons
The are both capable of committing crime
The are both outsiders in their communities
Montressor is meticulous and the narrator is impulsive
Montressor is educated whereas the narrator is not
Montressor has a more sophisticated thinking process and lifestyle
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There are many similarities and differences between the
main protagonists in the short stories “The Cask of
Amontillado” and “I’m a Mad Dog Biting Myself for
Sympathy. The following essay will focus how they are both
outsiders and how they perform their crimes differently.
To begin, both characters in the texts are outsiders and this plays a huge role in their
actions throughout the stories. For instance, when Montressor is down among the
catacombs with Fortunato, the latter exclaims, “You are not of the masons”. The
masons is a fraternity of local men who get elected to join by a fellow member. The
fact that Montressor is not a member places him as an outsider. The narrator in Mad
Dog has just been released from prison, “I’m standing in line almost rehabilitated”.
The fact that he is in and out of prison places him on the outside of society and firmly
in the role as an outsider. Although both characters are from completely different
backgrounds, the both share being ostracised by their respective communities and
this has an effect on their behaviour in the texts. Being on the outside of society
affects both characters differently, but both characters go on to commit crimes as a
result of their exclusion.