The Fall of the House of Usher (A Story from The Weird Circle)
The Weird Circle dramatization of “The Fall of the House of Usher” retains the essence of Poe’s classic tale, but adds much that is not in the original story. The blood-red rain that falls around the House of Usher is one example. Another big difference is that in The Weird Circle’s version of the story Roderick and his twin sister Madeline hate each other. There are also more characters in this dramatization. In Poe’s story, the main characters are Roderick and Madeline Usher plus a friend of Roderick’s who is staying at the House of Usher as their guest and attempting to snap Roderick out of his melancholia.
In The Weird Circle’s version of the tale Roderick is more tyrannical than melancholic and the visiting friend is replaced by the Usher’s Cousin Dinah, who is engaged to Roderick, and another character, Charles Wilson, who is called to the house at the request of the dying Madeline, who wants him to ensure that her last wish is carried out. Her last wish is that her coffin be left open because she is afraid of being buried alive. Madeline has good reason for this because she has a secret—one that she refuses to share with her brother. Madeline tells Charles that she and Roderick are more than just twins. They share a single soul. Furthermore, she will never be able to truly die while her brother still lives. Only by his death will their soul be released.
Unbeknown to Madeline and Charles and much to the disgust of Dinah, who is fast growing to hate her fiance, Roderick has been listening at the door and has heard his sister’s words, and when Madeline dies he tries his best to ensure that she is buried. The doctor, however, listens to Charles’ concerns about the colour retained in the cheeks of the supposedly dead Madeline and refuses to sign the death certificate until two weeks have passed. He also insists that her body be taken to the catacombs below the building. And that the coffin be left open. This is what happens. What also happens is that Roderick sneaks down to the catacombs in the middle of the night and when a concerned Dina follows him down she finds him with a hammer in one hand—and a wooden stake in the other!
The Weird Circle: The Fall of the House of Usher
(Listen to the Full Episode)