Theme & Central Idea
What is a central idea of The Tell-Tale Heart?
A. Guilt can drive a person to madness
B. Love conquers all
C. Fear of others causes violence
A. Guilt can drive a person to madness
What is ironic about the narrator’s claim of sanity?
A. His words prove his insanity
B. He never says he’s sane
C. He admits to being guilty
A. His words reveal insanity
Which event foreshadows the narrator’s confession?
A. The police arriving
B. His kind treatment of the old man
C. His hearing things in heaven and on earth
C. His hearing things in heaven and on earth
What technique does Poe use to build suspense?
A. Flashbacks
B. Repetition and pacing
C. Dialogue between the characters
B. Repetition and pacing
What is the narrator’s main purpose in telling his story?
A. To prove he is not insane
B. To frighten the reader
C. To explain why he dislikes the old man
A. To prove he is not insane
What event best supports that theme?
A. The narrator hearing the heartbeat
B. The narrator sleeping peacefully
C. The old man locking the door
A. The narrator hearing the heartbeat
Which sentence shows irony in his tone?
A. “I loved the old man.”
B. “He had a pale blue eye.”
C. “How calmly I can tell you the whole story.”
C. “How calmly I can tell you the whole story.”
How does that event predict the ending?
A. It shows he’s calm and logical
B. It hints that his guilt will overcome him
C. It proves he planned the crime perfectly
B. It hints that his guilt will overcome him
What mood is created by “still dark as midnight”?
A. Calm and peaceful
B. Fearful and tense
C. Confused and chaotic
B. Fearful and tense
Which sentence best supports that purpose?
A. “I loved the old man.”
B. “You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing.”
C. “It took me an hour to place my whole head within the opening.”
B. “You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing.”
What lesson does the story teach?
A. Truth is unimportant
B. Revenge always wins
C. You can't hide from your own conscience
C. You can't hide from your own conscience
What type of irony is used in the paragraph 18?
A. Dramatic irony
B. Situational irony
C. Verbal irony
A. Dramatic irony
*Daily Double (+300pts): Explain
Why is the old man’s eye important to the plot?
A. It symbolizes the narrator’s guilt
B. It shows the old man’s innocence
C. It triggers the narrator’s obsession
C. It triggers the narrator’s obsession
Why do the narrator’s slow movements build suspense?
A. They make readers anticipate what will happen next
B. They slow down the story unnecessarily
C. They make the narrator seem lazy
A. They make readers anticipate what will happen next
What does first-person narration allow readers to understand?
A. The old man's feelings
B. The police officers’ suspicions
C. The narrator’s unstable thoughts
C. The narrator’s unstable thoughts
Which details best support the theme of guilt?
A. Watching the old man sleep and showing the police around
B. A. Hearing the heart and confessing to police
C. Laughing at the officers and stalking the man for 7 days
B. Hearing the heart and confessing to the police
How does Poe use irony to develop theme?
A. By hiding the murder weapon
B. By showing the police are foolish
C. By showing guilt distorts truth
C. By showing guilt distorts truth
What does the sound of the heart foreshadow?
A. The narrator’s confession
B. The police leaving the house
C. The narrator’s escape
A. The narrator’s confession
Which detail increases suspense?
A. His calm tone
B. His slow pacing and sudden noises
C. His quick and careless actions
A. His calm tone
Why does Poe use an unreliable narrator?
A. To confuse the reader
B. To create suspense and reveal madness
C. To make the story longer
B. To create suspense and reveal madness
How does Poe’s use of sound imagery reinforce the theme?
A. The heartbeat symbolizes guilt consuming the narrator
B. The noises distract from the murder
C. The silence shows peace
A. The heartbeat symbolizes guilt consuming the narrator
Which line is ironic?
A. “Would a madman have been so wise as this?”
B. “The old man was kind to me.”
C. “I was calm and quiet.”
A. “Would a madman have been so wise as this?”
Which detail foreshadows the breakdown?
A. His claim to hear everything in heaven and earth
B. His calm tone
C. His fast, careless movements
A. His claim to hear everything in heaven and earth
How does the story’s structure contribute to suspense?
A. It builds gradually toward the narrator’s confession
B. It begins with the ending
C. It jumps randomly in time
A. It builds gradually toward the narrator’s confession
How would the story change if told by a police officer?
A. It would be more objective
B. It would include more action
C. It would focus on the old man’s life
A. It would be more objective