The Tell Tale Heart - Recall

Story Basics

100

For 100 points: Who is the main character in the story?

The narrator

200

For 200 points: What is the old man's physical feature that bothers the narrator?

The old man's eye (vulture eye)

300

For 300 points: Is the narrator ever given a name in the story?

No, the narrator is unnamed

400

For 400 points: Where does the story mostly take place?

Inside the old man’s house

500

For 500 points: Who visits the house after the murder?

Police officers

Sequence of Events

100

For 100 points: What does the narrator do every night before the murder?

He sneaks into the old man’s room and watches him sleep

200

For 200 points: How many nights does the narrator watch the old man sleep?

Seven nights

300

For 300 points: What causes the narrator to finally act?

The old man opens his eye

400

For 400 points: Where does the narrator hide the body?

Under the floorboards

500

For 500 points: What sound drives the narrator to confess?

The sound of the old man's heartbeat

Vocabulary in Context

100

For 100 points: What does 'vexed' mean in the story?

'Vexed' means bothered or annoyed

200

For 200 points: What does the word 'stealthily' suggest?

'Stealthily' means quietly or secretly

300

For 300 points: What does 'sagacity' mean?

'Sagacity' means wisdom or intelligence

400

For 400 points: What is meant by 'dissemble'?

'Dissemble' means to hide one’s true feelings or thoughts

500

For 500 points: What does 'suavity' mean in how the narrator talks to police?

'Suavity' means smoothness or charm

Author’s Choices

100

For 100 points: What point of view is the story told from?

First-person point of view

200

For 200 points: Why does Poe use short, choppy sentences?

To reflect the narrator’s nervous and unstable thoughts

300

For 300 points: Why does the narrator keep insisting he is not mad?

To convince the reader he is sane

400

For 400 points: What literary device is used in 'a hideous heart'?

Alliteration or imagery

500

For 500 points: How does the author build suspense?

By using repetition, vivid imagery, and pacing

Creepy Details

100

For 100 points: What is the narrator obsessed with?

The old man’s eye

200

For 200 points: What animal does the narrator compare the old man's eye to?

A vulture

300

For 300 points: How does the old man react when he hears something at night?

He sits up and listens

400

For 400 points: What time of night does the narrator kill the old man?

Around midnight

500

For 500 points: What sound does the narrator think he hears under the floor?

A heartbeat