In what ways are Zaroff and Rainsford alike? Why did Connell choose to make them so alike in some ways?

Acutally, the two characters were very alike. They were both smart, intelligent hunters. Strategy was a part of their everyday lives, but Zaroff took strategy just a bit further when he decided to make it about a game..... placing Rainsford as the most important piece on the board.

Zaroff is cruel and unfeeling; Rainsford has a sense of humor and he's witty. We like Rainsford, and yet in the end he is just as cold and cruel as the man who dragged him into the game.

We can infer that Connell's reason for making them alike in so many ways has to do with their ability to understand each other and anticipate each other's actions.