Text Evidence RL 8.1
For 100 points: What specific line reveals the narrator is unreliable?
Excerpt: “You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing.”
The line shows the narrator is trying to prove his sanity, which ironically makes him seem more unstable.
For 100 points: What is a central theme of 'The Tell-Tale Heart'?
Guilt can overpower even the most carefully constructed lies.
For 100 points: What does the word 'vexed' most likely mean?
Excerpt: “It was not the old man who vexed me, but his Evil Eye.”
Vexed means bothered or disturbed.
For 100 points: Why does Poe use repetition such as 'louder—louder—louder!'?
To mirror the narrator’s growing panic and emphasize his mental state.
For 100 points: What word best describes the mood at the beginning of the story?
Suspenseful or eerie—created by the narrator’s tone and insistence he is not mad.
For 200 points: What evidence does the narrator give that he is sane?
Excerpt: “You should have seen how wisely I proceeded—with what caution.”
He insists his careful planning proves he is not mad.
For 200 points: What inference can be made about the narrator’s state of mind?
Despite insisting he is sane, his actions and thoughts reveal deep instability.
Despite insisting he is sane, his actions and thoughts reveal deep instability.
For 200 points: What does 'sagacity' mean?
Excerpt: “Never before that night had I felt the extent of my own powers—of my sagacity.”
Sagacity means wisdom or keen judgment.
For 200 points: What effect does the first-person point of view have on the story?
It traps the reader in the narrator’s twisted logic and instability.
For 200 points: What tone does the narrator use when he insists he is not mad?
Defensive and erratic—his protests make him seem more unstable.
For 300 points: What quote shows how nervous the narrator becomes at the end?
Excerpt: “I talked more quickly—more vehemently—but the noise steadily increased.”
The repetition and punctuation show his rising anxiety and unraveling sanity.
For 300 points: What message might Poe be sending about trying to hide guilt?
That guilt cannot be suppressed forever and will eventually be revealed.
For 300 points: What does 'derision' mean?
Excerpt: “Anything was more tolerable than this derision!”
Derision means mockery or ridicule.
For 300 points: Why does Poe begin the story with a question?
Excerpt: “TRUE!—nervous—very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad?”
The question pulls the reader into the narrator’s defensive mindset and raises immediate doubt.
For 300 points: What mood is created by the description of the old man’s eye?
Unsettling and creepy—the 'vulture eye' imagery creates discomfort.
For 400 points: What evidence shows the narrator's guilt?
Excerpt: “It is the beating of his hideous heart!”
He believes the sound is real, but it’s a hallucination caused by guilt.
He believes the sound is real, but it’s a hallucination caused by guilt.
For 400 points: What role does time play in the story’s theme?
Time builds suspense and mirrors the narrator’s increasing obsession and guilt.
Time builds suspense and mirrors the narrator’s increasing obsession and guilt.
For 400 points: What does 'dissimulation' mean?
Excerpt: “You should have seen how wisely I proceeded—with what caution—with what foresight, with dissimulation.”
Dissimulation means hiding one's true thoughts or intentions.
For 400 points: What literary device is used in 'It is the beating of his hideous heart!'?
Alliteration and imagery enhance the vividness and horror of the scene.
For 400 points: What is the tone at the climax of the story?
Frantic and desperate—reflected in the narrator’s wild confession.
For 500 points: What line reveals that the narrator’s guilt overcomes him?
Excerpt: “Villains!” I shrieked, “dissemble no more! I admit the deed!”
This is the moment the narrator confesses out of guilt and panic.
For 500 points: How does the beating heart symbolize the theme?
It represents the narrator’s internalized guilt that becomes unbearable.
For 500 points: What does 'suavity' suggest?
Excerpt: “There entered three men, who introduced themselves... I was singularly at ease. The officers were satisfied. My manner had convinced them. I was singularly at ease.”
Suavity refers to a smooth, insincere charm the narrator uses to hide the murder.
For 500 points: How does Poe’s word choice affect the tone of the story?
His use of dark, intense, and frantic language builds a tone of paranoia and madness.
For 500 points: How does Poe’s pacing affect the mood?
The slow buildup creates dread; the quick ending amplifies the narrator’s breakdown.