Shows absolutely no remorse or any real concern for the effect his actions will have. Even going so far as to make jokes at the expense of the future murder of his so-called “friend”. As Dr. Stout said, sociopaths can drive people to their impaling deaths very easily. The sheer ease with which his revenge plan came to fruition. His use of reverse psychology on people to eventually make them do his true bidding. Play with Fortunado's trust, to his satisfaction and profit. He displays many traits of a sociopath throughout the story. Edgar Allan Poe is well known for doing this in many of his works, as seen in classic works such as The Black Cat, The Tell-Tale Heart. The protagonists of these stories are also sociopathic, crazy, vengeful and bloodthirsty people who are actually the real antagonists. In each of their minds they believe that they rightfully demand justice and either see no wrong in their actions or simply don't care. They are also cold, callous, persuasive, sinister murderers who escalate small issues out of proportion. A sinister character is a recurring theme in Poe's work, and Montresor is certainly no exception