Set the Scene
Who wrote The Tell-Tale Heart?
Edgar Allen Poe
What does the narrator say bothers him most about the old man?
His Vulture EYE
What time of night does the narrator always go to the old man's room?
He goes to his room past midnight.
What does "Vex" mean?
To annoy or bother
Define Tone
Tone is the way the speaker makes the reader feel
The old man's house, over 8 days, at night.
True or False: The narrator loves the old man- he has never wronged him.
True! He has no issues with the old man, he only hates his creepy eye.
Where does the narrator hide the old mans body? Find text evidence
He hides it under the floorboards. Paragraph 13
What does "audacity" mean?
Boldness or daring
Define mood
The way the author feels about the text.
Define imagery and give an example from the story
Imagery is when an author uses certain words that help the reader create a mental image. Ex: Vulture Eye
What finally pushes the narrator to kill the old man?
Find text evidence from the story.
In paragraph 11- he states "and now a new anxiety seized me- the sound would be heard by a neighbor! The old man's hour had come!"
What is a possible theme of this story?
A possible theme could be that guilt is very powerful!
Your conscience can betray you
What does "derision" mean?
Mockery, rididicule, makes fun of
What is the tone of the narrators vouce when he describes sneaking into the old mans room?
What is the main conflict of the story?
The narrator has an issue with the old mans foggy eye and wanted to get rid of it.
How does the narrator's reaction to the heartbeat reveal his mental state? Support with text evidence.
The narrator's reaction to the heartbeat reveals that he is insane. In paragraph 11, he thinks the heatbeat is so loud the neighbor will hear it.
In paragraph 17, it states that as he was talking to the officers, the heartbeat was beating, getting louder and louder.
Give a piece of evidence that supports the theme: "Guilt always finds its way out"
Paragrpah 18- he admitted to what he had done, although the cops had no idea.
What does "stealthily" mean?
Sneaky, secretive
At first, how does the narrator act when the police come knocking at the door?
He's calm. He invites them in and gives them a tour.
Why does the narrator say he not mad (crazy) at the beginning of the story
He says this because he is justifying his actions! (He mentions that if he's crazy, then how could he be retelling the story so calmly)
Why was the narrator so willings to let in the officers? What was his story behind the scream and the whereabouts of the old man?
he wasn't worried about what he did- in fact he was relieved that he didn't have to worry about the eye anymore. He said he had a nightmare and he screamed and the old man was out of the country.
What's the significance of the beating heart in the last 3 paragraphs? (16-18)
His guilt is getting stronger and stronger- it wasn't the old mans heartbeat! It was his own heatbeat.
What does "Sagacity" mean?
Wisdom, good judgment
What mood does the author create by describing the heartbeat growing louder and louder?
The mood the author creates by describing the heartbeat growing louder and louder nervousness and anxiety.