Tell-Tale Heart 1
How many policeman were at the door, when they knocked?
There were three policeman at the door.
When does the narrator kill the man? What night is it?
The narrator kills the man on the 8th night after a week of planning and sneaking into his room at night.
Who is the author of the story, and when was the book written?
The author of the story is Edgar Allan Poe, and the book was written in 1843.
Where does the story take place? What is the setting?
The story takes place in the old man’s house, specifically in his bedroom. It also takes place in a city.
What is the climax of the story?
The murder.
Why did the narrator confess his crime?
He confesses out of guilt.
The guilt manifests in his imagination as the loudly beating heart of the man he has murdered. The narrator, filled with agony at the sound and sure the police are mocking him by pretending not to hear it, finally confesses
How does the narrator kill the old man, and where does the narrator put the body when he is killed?
The narrator kills the old man, by dragging the bed on top of his body. He then hides the body underneath floor boards.
What is an example of suspense in the story?
The narrator goes into the man's room each night for a week and shines a small light on the man's eye while he is sleeping, building the suspense of what he will do.
The story begins in media res, or in the middle.
Why does the man want to kill the old man in the story?
Because of his eyes, and the man’s insanity drives him to kill the old man.
Who’s heartbeat was beating in the story?
It was either in the Narrator's head that the old man's heart was still beating, or it was the narrator's own heart that was beating due to guilt and nervousness, and he mistook it for the old man's heart.
How did the narrator change at the end?
The man changes as his confidence lowers and his guilt takes him over at the end making him reveal himself.
Why did the narrator take pleasure in killing the man?
He was bothered by the old mans eye.
From whose point of view (POV) is the story told?
The story is written in first person.
How does the narrator try to prove that he is not crazy?
He explains how carefully he planned the murder, thereby proving his sanity
What are the conflicts in the story? Explain your decisions.
There are two conflicts in the story, person vs person and person vs self.
1. The story contains person vs person, because it is the narrator vs. the old man.
2. It is person vs. self. because there is a lot of internal conflict within the man.
What character trait does this sentence reveal about the narrator: "I know what the old felt, and pitied him, although I chuckled at heart."
insanity (madness)
What brings the police officers to the house?
neighbors reported hearing a shriek
While visiting with the police officers, what happens to change his sense of security?
He feels like he can still hear the old man's heartbeat. He feels like the police can hear it too, but they are simply mocking him.
Describe two things that Poe uses to show that the narrator is mad.
moves VERY SLOWLY; laughs at strange times; visits 7 times before killing the old man; his hatred for a random physical attribute; etc.
What two things were the narrator obsessed over?
The eye and the heart beat.
How was the narrator feeling at the opening of the story?
nervous
"TRUE! - nervous - very, very dreadfully NERVOUS I had been and am."
What character trait does the narrator seem to have a strong sense of throughout the story? (relief, pride, or fear)
pride
What is different about the old man's reaction to the narrator's visit on the eighth night?
He wakes up and asks "Who's there?"
How did the narrator feel about the man himself?
"I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult."
How is Death personified?
"Death, in approaching him, had stalked with his black shadow before him, and enveloped the victim."