(http://www.merriam-webster.com/) Love and hate are both very common obsessions. Obsession is one of the more general themes of these stories, but the theme can be taken further and become more specific. There are many different themes to Poe's works. Love and hate is one of these themes and is also the related theme of both "The Tell Tale Heart" and "The Cask of Amontillado". Both stories use the elements of death, darkness, horror, coldness, dampness, fear, gloom, and mystery to convey the point and theme. Obsession is shown in "The Tell Tale Heart" by the obsession with the eye even after the narrator kills the old man. Obsession is shown in "The Cask of Amontillado" with Montresor's obsession with getting revenge on Fortunato. Another way that obsession is shown is in how Montresor holds a grudge against Fortunato just because he insulted him once. Everything Edgar Allan Poe wrote in these stories was put there for a reason. So every sign that points to the theme of love and hate was put there to be shown