Within story writing and developing, it is entirely essential that the author flesh out the characters and plot. These two parts of a story are arguably the most necessary. An example of a work with an excellent plot and well-written characters is Agatha Christie’s Mrs. McGinty’s Dead. The main character, like Montresor and Rainsford, must use strategies to manipulate and deceive people for information and survival, although the survival circumstances differ greatly between the three protagonists. Montresor, from “A Cask of Amontillado,” is a wealthy, Italian aristocrat living in Italy during the Middle Ages. He seeks vengeance on Fortunato, an unfortunate individual who insulted him. Montresor is clever and cunning, and puts his self-preservation and pride before anyone and…show more content… Rainsford, from “The Most Dangerous Game,” is an accomplished hunter, who does not care for empathy, especially concerning animals, as he believes that he is above animals on the hierarchy of living organisms. Montresor is a better protagonist than Rainsford because of his ability to create suspense and plan out his actions while keeping possible consequences in mind.
Montresor’s motives are less pronounced, making him more successful at being suspenseful and engaging than Rainsford, as the ending of “The Most Dangerous Game” is easily predictable. Montresor’s reasons are entirely founded upon revenge, but are never fully revealed. He recounts, “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge.” This excerpt is the only piece readers learn about why Montresor is out for revenge. The only hinting of the driving forces behind all his actions are described in this one line. That’s what makes the