18. do you think insults and bullying could cause this degree of revenge today?

We never really know if there was ever an insult. Poe's protagonist's were crazy.

Do I think that insults and bullying could cause this type of revenge today?

Well, there has always been bullying, and there has always been revenge....... I seen some pretty crazy things on the news....... I've seen some pretty crazy things go on in the city. Yes, bullying can cause acts of revenge, and often those acts of revenge can end in death.

Yes bullying happens today and the fallout can be violent. My first response, however, highlights the fact that Poe's villain/protagonists were crazy in a Machiavellian sort of way that is way over the top to be very realistic.