Irony/Suspense
How does Poe create irony in the story?
The narrator attempts to hide the murder actually results in him giving himself up to the police
What does the word vexed mean?
to annoy, disturb, to make upset
What does the narrator insist throughout the story?
That he is not mad
"Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me." what does this suggest?
The murder does not have a traditional motive
How does the narrator's mention of his sharpened sense of hearing hint at the old man's death?
It hints at the old man's death because it is the heartbeat that drives the narrator crazy as well
How does the narrator describe his hearing ability?
as acute, meaning highly sensitive
How does the first person narration impact the story?
It gives insight into the narrator's unstable mind
"I talked more freely to get rid of the feeling: but it continued and gained definitiveness-until at length, I found that the noise was not within my ears." What does this suggest?
The narrator cannot escape his guilty conscience
Read the excerpt from paragraph 2.
I think it was his eye! yes, it was this! He had the eye of a vulture—a pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold. . . .
How does the author create suspense in this excerpt?
By identifying the source of the narrator's irrational fear
What does conceive mean in context of the story?
to create or form an idea or plan
Why is the narrator unable to commit the murder for the first seven nights?
He cannot see the old man's eye, so he lacks the motivation to act
"I moved it slowly- very, very slowly, so that I might not disturb the old man's sleep." How does this build suspense?
It shows the narrator's obsessive and repetitive actions
What does the beating heart symbolize after the murder?
The narrator's guilty conscience
What does hypocritical mean?
Pretending to have morals or beliefs that one doesn't truly follow
What tone does the narrator use when first speaking to the police
Confidence
"I paced the floor to and fro with heavy strides, as if excited to fury by the observation of the men- but the noise steadily increased." What does this indicate?
The narrator is becoming overwhelmed by his guilt.
What does stifle mean?
to suppress of hold back
What does the narrator believe about the police at the end of the story?
That they know about the crime and are mocking him
What is the significance of the narrator hearing the old man's heart after his death?
It symbolizes the narrator's overwhelming guilt and descent into madness.