A theme I noticed across Poe’s writing was the use of an unreliable narrator in order to add suspense and dimension to the plot. In Poe’s stories the reader has to be conscious of the danger that the narrator is revealing as well as suspicious of the narrator’s account. In Ligeia the narrator explicitly acknowledges his lack of knowledge on important details regarding his wife Ligeria. For instance, he cannot recall her paternal name. While at times he justifies his lack of knowledge about his former wife by the large amount of time that has passed or his drug and alcohol use, as the narrative continues, it becomes evident that his overall knowledge of Ligeia is fairly base level and centers around her outward appearance. In repeatedly questioning whether he has ever known Ligeria to be wrong, he establishes his view of Ligeia as somewhat inhuman. The reappearance of Ligeria following the death of his second wife Rowena feels foreshadowed by the narrator’s ignorance to the character of Ligeria.  

Furthermore, in William Wilson. A Tale the narrator’s unreliability, established from the opening paragraph where he refuses to give his true name to the reader, keeps the reader suspicious of his account throughout the story. Wilson appears aware of his own wrongdoing revealed in the story, arguing “the fair page now lying before me need not be sullied with my real appellation” (Poe 642).   However, while seeming to take accountability and to have knowledge that his actions were unethical, the narrator’s emotions, specifically regarding his classmate William Wilson, seem to be pertinent and used to justify his final action of the play. He dedicates almost a page of writing to the striking similarity between Wilson and himself in their school years to the extent where, “this most exquisite portraiture harassed [him]” (647, Poe). Wilson’s killing of Wilson in the final page is built up through the narrators contradicting account where he is simultaneously taking accountability and justifying his actions.