The Five Games of Mr. Edgar Allan Poe: Strategic rationality in 'The Purloined Letter (original) (raw)

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2019

Abstract

This paper investigates strategic rationality in a fictional world, specifically that of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Purloined Letter.” This tale has been rightly celebrated for its explicit analysis of strategic reasoning in which players attempt to understand one another’s reasoning, taking into account how they are taking into account one another’s reasoning. In this paper I consider how the actors are often wrong in their explicit analysis, and consider the strategic actions they take rather than those they claim to take. Using the language of game theory I describe five games (and maybe six) that are played out in the tale. These include games of signalling, screening, negotiation, and a unique game called the “pincer”. I consider how literary sources like “The Purloined Letter” can provide insights into psychology, and the applicability of game theory in the “real world”.

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