e family motto "Nemo me impune lacessit" ("No one assails me with impunity") (Poe 4). A twisted outdated motto causes the death of Fortunato. The burying of a live body conjures up images of desperation and hopelessness of the victim. Montrtessor has all of the power. He picks the time and place where Fortunato will meet his end. Obvious disregard of life is maniacal. The perpetrator in The Tell-Tale-Heart states clearly that he enjoys the act of killing. "In an instant I dragged him to the floor, and pulled the heavy bed over him, I then smiled gaily, to find the deed so far gone" (Poe2). This sick individual not only kills the old man, but he "…dismembers the corpse. [He] cut off the head and the arms and the legs" (Poe 2). He seems to take pride in his clever cover up of the annihilation bragging "There was nothing to wash out --no stain of any kind --no blood spot whatever. I had been too wary for that. A tub had caught all -ha! ha!" (Poe 3). This man is a true sociopath, and psychotic. Any act one can imagine being grotesque he has committed. This is a person who is not in his right mind. His acts are shocking and almost unbelievable, but not quite. There are deranged people who commit vile, meaningless acts of violence just because. The scariest part about this perversity is that it does happen, people can be this repugnant. The ultimate payback for wrongdoing is retribution. It is a means by which one releases anger. When revenge is taken, the outcome is satisfaction. Power is definitely associated with it. The need to be the dominating figure in a relationship fuels the desire. Sometimes retribution is directed at personage who has little to do with what is being avenged. The person may be representative of a greater cause. He or she is just an outlet for abuse. It feels good to get even with someone, even if it is not the source of the problem. Poe has many problems that he can not fix. This angers him. He does not unders...
