Similarities Between Montresor And Zaroff

To begin with, Montresor and Zaroff may not seem to have a lot in common. Actually, their differences are overcome by their similarities in the way of acting and the lack of empathy. To begin with, the story The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe is about Montresor, an elite man from Venice that is annoyed with one of his servants, Fortunato. Therefore, Montresor articulates a plan to trap poor Fortunato, inviting him for a walk in the mansion’s vaults to find a cask of Amontillado wine. As they walk deeper into the vault, Monstrestor shows compassion for Fortunato, persuading him even more. In the end, Monstrestor traps Fortunato in his mansion's catacombs and leaves him to die. On the other hand, The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell …show more content…
Montresor's apathetic personality is set by Poe in the first paragraphs of the story, while describing what happened for him to hate Fortunato is clear that he lacks caring. When Montresor says that he must not only punish Fortunato but also punish with impunity (Poe). The same happens to Zaroff since Rainsford first meets with the general, the reader learns about the apathetic man that lives behind the smile. “In his hand, the man held a pistol, which he pointed directly at Rainsford’s heart” (Connell). Zaroff does not even care to know who Rainsford is and already threatens to kill him. Another characteristic both Montresor and Zaroff have in common is their passion for killing. For instance, the plot of The Cask of Amontillado is based on Montresor having a payback over Fortunato, by killing him. As shown in this quote:X “I continued, as usual, to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation” (Poe). Montresor is stating that the only way to end his suffering is by taking revenge on Fortunato, consequently killing him. While The Most Dangerous Game is also has a cold-blooded killer as the main character, General Zaroff. The hunter has an unconditional passion for hunting and traveled the world looking for new animals to hunt. Finally, they use the same method to achieve their goals: …show more content…
When analyzing Montresor is clear that he is empathic sarcastically with Fortunato because is all part of the act of persuasion. When he shows concern for Fortunato’s health, Montresor is just playing with his mind, so he would not question the situation: “ ‘My friend, no. It is not only that you are occupied, but also that you seem to have a severe cold. The vaults are extremely humid, dripping with water’ ”(Poe). Zaroff, on the other hand, is not subtle in any way. Since his first dialogue with Rainsford is clear to the reader that he is a not subtle apathetic. In this line, he speaks of the new animal he invented since he was bored with the other species that were allowed for hunting. These new animals are well known by Rainsford and the public because they nothing other than humans. Montresor and Zaroff not only diverge in their personality traits but in their killing spree motivations. Montresor’s motivation is based on his thirst for revenge over Fortunato, and he states this early in the first paragraph: “ I would have my revenge; this was certain” (Poe). As for Zaroff’s motivation is his pleasure in killing. Killing is his everything. Montresor and Zaroff also differ in their methods of killing. While Montresor is calmer and subtler, as he uses more conversation than action. Zaroff