Rhetorical Appeals
Which rhetorical appeal is the narrator using when he insists, “Observe how healthily—how calmly I can tell you the whole story”?
Ethos – He’s trying to prove his sanity and credibility.
Identify the figurative device: “Death had stalked with his black shadow before him.”
Personification
Identify the rhetorical device: “You should have seen how wisely I proceeded.”
Irony – He believes he’s wise, but his logic is twisted.
What is the denotation of the word “mad”?
Mentally ill.
What is Poe’s main purpose in The Tell-Tale Heart?
To explore guilt and madness through psychological horror.
What emotional appeal does Poe use when describing the old man’s eye as “the eye of a vulture”?
Pathos – The image creates disgust and fear.
How does this figurative language contribute to Poe’s purpose?
"Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees-very gradually-I made up my mind to take the life of the old man...."
It evokes fear and suspense, helping Poe build emotional intensity.
What rhetorical device appears in “with what caution—with what foresight—with what dissimulation”?
Parallelism, repetition
What is the connotation of “mad” in this story?
Defensive, unstable, paranoid.
What rhetorical appeal helps Poe achieve his purpose most effectively?
Pathos, because emotional tension drives the story’s fear and guilt.
How does Poe use the narrator’s calm tone to build an appeal to logic (logos)?
The step-by-step detail mimics logical reasoning, even as it reveals madness.
In “louder—louder—louder!” what effect does repetition create?
Rising tension and mirroring of the narrator’s panic.
How does Poe’s use of parallel structure support his appeal to logic?
“Now this is the point. You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing. But you should have seen me. You should have seen how wisely I proceeded—with what caution—with what foresight—with what dissimulation I went to work!”
It imitates methodical reasoning, emphasizing logos.
How does the connotation of “mad” influence tone?
It makes the narrator sound untrustworthy and anxious.
How does Poe use irony to reveal purpose?
“True!—nervous—very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses—not destroyed—not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell.”
The narrator’s insistence on sanity ironically exposes his madness.
Which appeal dominates the climax when the narrator hears the heartbeat growing louder?
Pathos – The sound provokes overwhelming guilt and emotional panic.
How does Poe’s use of imagery support his rhetorical appeals?
His imagery evokes pathos (emotion), reinforcing fear and guilt.
What is the effect of Poe’s irony throughout the narrator’s speech?
“True!—nervous—very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses—not destroyed—not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell.”
It highlights the contrast between sanity and madness, reinforcing the unreliable narrator.
What’s the connotative impact of “black shadow” describing death?
It suggests fear, evil, and the inescapability of guilt.
How does combining logical reasoning with emotional description serve Poe’s purpose?
“Now this is the point. You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing. But you should have seen me. You should have seen how wisely I proceeded—with what caution—with what foresight—with what dissimulation I went to work!... I was never kinder to the old man than during the whole week before I killed him.”
It draws readers into the narrator’s delusion, showing how guilt overwhelms reason.
How do Poe’s appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos work together to achieve his purpose?
They make readers experience the narrator’s madness and guilt firsthand, fulfilling Poe’s psychological horror purpose.
Evaluate how Poe’s figurative language achieves his overall purpose in The Tell-Tale Heart.
“It was a low, dull, quick sound—much such a sound as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. I gasped for breath—and yet the officers heard it not... It grew louder—louder—louder! And still the men chatted pleasantly, and smiled.”
It immerses readers in the narrator’s distorted perception, blending emotion and fear to expose madness and guilt.
How do Poe’s rhetorical devices advance his purpose of psychological horror?
“It was a low, dull, quick sound—much such a sound as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. I gasped for breath—and yet the officers heard it not. I talked more quickly—more vehemently; but the noise steadily increased... It grew louder—louder—louder! And still the men chatted pleasantly, and smiled. Was it possible they heard not?... ‘Villains!’ I shrieked, ‘dissemble no more! I admit the deed!—tear up the planks! here, here!—It is the beating of his hideous heart!’”
They make readers feel the narrator’s delusion, not just witness it—turning logic into terror.
How does Poe’s diction contribute to the story’s tone and theme?
His connotative words (dark, dreadfully, nervous) create an atmosphere of paranoia that reflects guilt.
Evaluate how Poe achieves his purpose through tone, diction, and appeals.
“I resolved to open a little—a very, very little crevice in the lantern. So I opened it—you cannot imagine how stealthily, stealthily—until, at length, a single dim ray, like the thread of the spider, shot from out the crevice and fell full upon the vulture eye. It was open—wide, wide open—and I grew furious as I gazed upon it. I saw it with perfect distinctness—all a dull blue, with a hideous veil over it that chilled the very marrow in my bones...”
His fearful tone, vivid diction, and appeals to emotion let readers feel insanity, not just analyze it.