In The Black Cat, the protagonist commits a perverse crime and is haunted by a nagging reminder of his guilt before he meets a chilling end. In it, the Poe delves deeply into the themes of violence, hatred, and guilt.

The Pit & The Pendulum is a classic of horror fiction depicting the torture of a prisoner of the Spanish Inquisition in vivid detail. A man is condemned and must endure waiting for his death in pitch blackness, at the brink of a seemingly bottomless pit while scythe-like pendulum swings above.