Tier 1
Why does the narrator say he killed the old man?
The narrator says that he killed the old man because… he had an evil eye. “I felt I had to kill; it was the eye, his Evil Eye. This quote further explains that the narrator does not like the eye because it is evil.
What does the narrator believe he hears at the end of the story?
Restate- The narrator believe that he heard the heartbeat of the old man and that led him to turn himself in to the police. “But why does his heart not stop beating?” This quote suggests that the man felt regret of his actions and could not quit hearing a heartbeat that was not there.
IS the narrator a reliable source of information about himself? IN other words, can we trust his opinion of himself since he is "mad?"
No — the narrator is not a reliable source about himself, and that's exactly the point Poe is making. Throughout the story, the narrator insists he is not mad and even uses his calm, methodical planning as "proof" of his sanity. "You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing."
Is the beating heart best understood as a literal sound, hallucination, or a symbol for something more?
Restate- The beating heart is best understood as a…hallucination because he is mentally ill and is confused about what is going on with the man’s eye and inner self. “Why does it not stop?” The police officers could not hear the beating; while, the man heard it and it would not stop. This indicates that it is just all a hallucination.
How does the narrator's language change from the beginning of the story to the end?
At the beginning, the narrator's language is controlled, deliberate, and almost persuasive. He speaks in complete, reasoned sentences, trying to sound calm and logical as he insists on his own sanity. He wants the reader to trust his self-control."True! nervous, very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am;
By the end, that composure completely breaks down. His sentences get shorter, choppier, and more fragmented. "Villains! dissemble no more! I admit the deed!—tear up the planks!—here, here!—it is the beating of his hideous heart!"
Poe never gives the narrator's guilt a name, yet the story makes it clear that the guilt destroys him. Give me two quotes from the story where this is present.
"It was the beating of the old man's heart... It increased my fury, as the beating of a drum stimulates the soldier into courage."
"I felt myself getting pale and wished them gone. I fancied a ringing in my ears."
I talked more freely to get rid of the feeling... I talked more fluently, and with a heightened voice. Yet the sound increased."
"But the noise steadily increased... I thought the heart must burst!"
"Almighty God!—no, no! They heard!—they suspected!—they knew!" (commonly quoted this way — worth double-checking your class edition, as slight wording varies by printing)
"Villains!" I shrieked, "dissemble no more! I admit the deed!—tear up the planks!—here, here!—it is the beating of his hideous heart!"