Poe's Stories Characters

A traveler, voyaging towards exotic islands for purposes of exploration. He is typical of a lot of Poe’s narrators in that he lives a solitary existence, only interacting with his shipmates. But when the seas… read analysis of Narrator (M.S. Found in a Bottle)

The mystical first wife of the narrator of "Ligeia", her fascinating intelligence and ghostly, wild appearance makes theirs an extreme romance. Though in many ways she seems quite unreal, on her deathbed, Ligeia begs… read analysis of Ligeia

Describes his lost love, Ligeia, but struggles with his memory. The only thing that remains clear to him is her personality and her appearance. He speaks with awe about her irregular looks and her… read analysis of Narrator (Ligeia)

The second wife of the narrator of "Ligeia", she marries him for the money he inherited from Ligeia. She cannot compare to Ligeia in any way and the marriage is full of hatred… read analysis of Lady Rowena of Tremaine

The last descendant of the Usher family, a genetic line that has been obsessively pure through the ages. He suffers from a nervous condition, which seems to be connected with both the degradation of the… read analysis of Roderick Usher

The unfortunate twin sister of Roderick Usher, she is infected with the same inherited disease that seems to come from the House of Usher itself. As Roderick becomes more and more manic and depressed… read analysis of Madeleine Usher

The name that the narrator assigns himself, knowing that his real name is detestable. The narrator was once a confident, sociable child, able to dominate the playground. But over the course of the story he… read analysis of William Wilson

A close friend of Auguste Dupin. Though the narrator does not possess Dupin's genius, in The Murders in the Rue Morgue he begins to share Dupin’s eccentric way of life, and they go out… read analysis of Narrator (The Murders in the Rue Morgue; The Purloined Letter)

Appears both in The Murders in the Rue Morgue and in The Purloined Letter as the clever companion of the narrator of those two stories. His highly creative, observant and analytical mind allows him to… read analysis of Auguste Dupin

The pitiable chief of the police, whose diligent, thorough but uncreative approach to crime-solving is the object of Dupin's ridicule. Though he is more officially important than Dupin, and even handles high profile cases… read analysis of The Prefect of the Police

A man who declares himself of sound mind before telling his story, yet that story seems to refute his original assertion. His hatred of the old man’s evil eye consumes him to such a… read analysis of Narrator (The Tell-Tale Heart)

The unfortunate nemesis of the delusional narrator of The Tell-Tale Heart. His vulture-like, evil eye torments the narrator. Yet other than his eye there is nothing to indicate that the old man is anything… read analysis of The Old Man

A victim of the Catholic Inquisition, he faints upon hearing his death sentence. When he wakes he is in a dark cell. He describes his confinement, trying to establish the cell’s perimeter, and from… read analysis of Narrator (The Pit and the Pendulum)

A man who describes himself as a docile youth with a love of animals, yet it is clear from the beginning of the story that the narrator is telling his story from prison. The duality… read analysis of Narrator (The Black Cat)

The wife of the narrator of "The Black Cat," she shares his love of animals and fills their house with pets. Though she sticks by the narrator despite his abuse and murder of Pluto, their… read analysis of Narrator’s wife (The Black Cat)

A loyal companion, named Pluto, whom the narrator loves but begins to mistreat when his cruel humor intensifies—the narrator gouges out Pluto's eye and then hangs the cat from a tree. After its death, the… read analysis of The Black Cat

A cunning criminal in "The Purloined Letter" who is both a poet and a mathematician and appears. This dual sensibility allows him to completely baffle the Prefect and the police. He meets his match in… read analysis of The Minister D____

A wild, eccentric character in "The Masque of the Red Death." He has so much money and status that when the Red Death plagues the country, wreaking havoc and killing untold numbers, he can afford… read analysis of Prince Prospero

A personification of the awful, bloody disease that is killing Prince Prospero’s countrymen in "The Masque of the Red Death." At first, he is a background presence, while Prospero’s masked dancers forget all about… read analysis of The Masque of the Red Death

A man with a vendetta against Fortunato because of an unexplained wrong Fortunato committed against him long ago. The narrator goes to great lengths of manipulation to secure his revenge, showing cunning and intelligence. But… read analysis of Narrator (The Cask of Amontillado)

The antagonist of the narrator of "The Cask of Amontillado, who (according to the narrator) mysteriously wronged the narrator years earlier. A lover of vintage wines and carnival attire, Fortunato appears as an eccentric… read analysis of Fortunato