The act of murder is always a compelling element in fiction. Edgar
             Allan Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado" and William Faulkner's "A Rose for
             Emily" are excellent murder stories. By creating dynamic characters, using
             vivid detail, and employing the element of suspense, Poe and Faulkner
             engaging and lively stories that give us a glimpse into twisted murder
             crimes. This paper will compare and contrast elements of these stories
             that make them unique and a pleasure to read.
             Although Montresor and Emily are very different characters; however,
             they have one thing in common in that they commit premeditated murder. For
             example, Montresor does not he his motive for murder nor does he show any
             remorse about it. We are told that Montresor has made sure the house is
             empty prior to Fortunato's arrival. We are told that, "there are no
             attendants at home . . . I had told them that I should not return until the
             morning, and had given them explicit orders not to stir from the house"
             (Poe 92). Additionally, we are also aware that he took the trowel with
             him while the mortar waited below in the catacombs. In comparison, Emily
             also prepares for her murder by buying the arsenic. (Faulkner 456) Emily
             does not seem to show remorse for actions, either. In fact, she sleeps
             with Homer's dead body in a room decorated as a bridal suite. (458)
             Montresor and Emily also choose to keep their murderous acts to themselves
             and they do not seem to care if their victim is truly aware of why they are
             being punished. Emily keeps her murder a secret from the entire town--
             apparently for decades. We know this because Homer, or "what was left of
             him" was "rotted beneath what was left of the nightshirt" (458). We have
             to wonder if Homer ever knew what was coming. At the end of "The Cask of
             Amontillado," Fortunato is aware of what is happening to him and who is
             doing it, although he probably does not know why...