They say a life at sea changes a man, but this story takes that to the extreme. In this episode, The National Edgar Allan Poe Theatre on the Air takes on Poe’s tale of tragedy at sea, and the physical toll on those who survive the clutches of a near-mythical storm.

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When obsession meets the creative impulse, it becomes almost impossible to know when to stop. Art should imitate life, not death. Meanwhile, it’s becoming clear that the kindly Dr. Mallard has somewhat of a mean streak in him.

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What if a person is hypnotized at the moment of death? The horrifying consequences of cheating the Reaper are unraveled in a story that readers during Poe’s time were afraid had actually happened.

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There’s always a price to be paid for arrogance. In one of Poe’s very few comedic short stories, a woman loses her head waiting for the time to come…

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Love truly hurts. A beautiful woman, in love with her bookish and obsessive cousin, has a smile to die for. As the woman falls ill, her smile is all that’s left unchanged. Her cousin can’t bear it and takes matters into his own hands.

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Insulted once too often by a vain and pompous ----friend,---- a man lures his victim to the catacombs beneath his home with the promise of a rare bottle of wine. Too late, the friend pays the ultimate price for not being more polite...

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A man's love for his scholarly wife fades as her fascination turns to morbid themes. On her deathbed, she gives birth and curses the man to ensure that he will never be freed from her memory.

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A man brings home a cat for his animal-loving wife, to replace a cherished pet. When the new family addition becomes too annoying for the man, it leads to a dark secret that the cat reveals at the worst possible time – for the man.

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A housekeeper takes a job caring for an old man, and it seems like a dream for them both. But the dream becomes a nightmare when the housekeeper’s obsession with the man turns deadly – with a truly heart-pounding ending.

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