William Wilson is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, first published in October 1839 in Burton's Gentleman's Magazine.
The tale is inspired by Poe's formative years on the outskirts of London, and the plot revolves around a troubled narrator named William, who dominates his classmates, except for one boy who shares the same name. Secretly afraid of this formidable classmate, William attempts to outwit his adversary despite the fact that none of the other students notice the heated rivalry or the growing resemblance between the two Williams. As the boys mature, William's doppelgänger pursues him across the globe, interfering in his affairs in such a duplicitous manner that the audience is forced to ponder whether one's conscience can become a distinct and separate personality.
