In Poe's short story, The Pit and the Pendulum, the main character, our narrator, has been captured and is certain that he is going to die. The story unfolds as he wakes up after losing consciousness. In order to understand him and understand what type of man he is, we must draw conclusions from his thoughts and actions. The Spanish Inquisition has captured the narrator. How he was captured or why he didn't tell, but the fact that he was arrested tells you something about who he is. When the Spanish Inquisition was in power, everyone knew the consequences of opposing it. The fact that he rebelled against them despite knowing what the consequences of his actions would be shows that he was strong-willed, idealistic and independent. Presumably he acted on what he believed in (which obviously went against the Spanish Inquisition) and got himself thrown in prison. Another conclusion the reader can make is that the narrator is exceptionally intelligent. While he is tied to the wooden board awaiting his death, he uses the only two resources he has, food and rats.. ...