Montresor's Internal Conflict

In The Tell Tale Heart, the narrator encounters both internal and external conflict through having things communicate with him beyond the dead as well as to take his neighbors life. For instance, The narrator is hearing things coming from hell and heaven. “I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad”( Poe 174). This shows that whatever the Narrator is hearing has an abnormal affect on his mental state. This is important because normal people do not “hear” things coming from the afterlife unless something is seriously messed up in their mind, proving one way he is a mad-man. Also, the Narrator is struggling with his mental temptations to murder his neighbor because he felt as if his eye

Infact, Montresor feels he must avenge himself the correct way, as it is the right thing to do in his mind. “I must not only punish, but punish with impunity. A wrong is undressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong” (poe 327). This shows that he desires crucial revenge through murder. This is important because the idea of killing Fortunato to make himself (Montresor) feel better, is what will give satisfaction to his mindset. Furthermore, Montresor indicates how he is feeling after being insulted by Fortunato. “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge. You, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that I gave utterance to a threat” (poe 327). This shows that Montresor is so irritated with whatever Fortunato said that it made Montresor feel he had to put an end to Fortunato forever. This is important because the insult from Fortunato was Montresor's main motive towards the execution of Fortunato. In conclusion, Montresor seeks death upon Fortunato because of an insult, which leads him to end Fortunato, as he believes that is what is