Summary

The short story “William Wilson” by Edgar Allan Poe features a man and his doppelgänger, or alter ego. The narrator, William Wilson claims he has a double with the same name, age, looks, manner, and who even wears the same clothes as him. The only difference between them is the weaker voice of William’s double. They both attend the same school when William is a boy. William is unsettled by his double, who tries to influence his behavior. However, he admits that his double tries to prevent him from doing bad things. 

One night, William sneaks into his double’s room to hurt him. However, he is terrified by the resemblance between them. He believes it is because of the double’s efforts to be as similar to him as possible. Shocked by the experience, William leaves the school an...