The Fall of the House of Usher and The Cask of Amontillado: Madness and Insanity Fear is a basic element of human emotion that is caused by the expectation or realization of danger. The existence of fear is essential for establishing the beliefs and the actions taken throughout one’s life. The two main characters in Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” and “The Cask of Amontillado” each demonstrate a behavior can leads to madness and insanity. One theme revealed in Poe's story "The Fall of the House of Usher”, is mans way of wallowing in sorrow,