Plot Structures
In "The Tell-Tale Heart," the story begins with the narrator trying to convince the audience that he is not mad and that he hates the old man's "weird" eye.
What part of the plot is this?
Exposition
Which literary device is this:
Descriptive or figurative language that focuses on one or more of the five senses: sight, touch, taste, sound, smell.
Imagery
What does Montresor want from Fortunato?
Revenge!
True or False:
The narrator of "The Tell-Tale Heart" is reliable.
False! He is an unreliable narrator.
Who did Edgar Allan Poe marry?
His 13-year old cousin, Virginia
In "The Tell-Tale Heart," the narrator begins to watch the old man while he sleeps, and on the 8th night, he startles the old man as he tries to watch him sleep again. He hides there watching him in silence.
What part of the plot is this?
Rising Action
Which literary device is this:
A narrator whose credibility is compromised, meaning that you can’t trust what they say.
Unreliable narrator
What does "Fortunato" (his name) translate to?
Lucky/Fortunate
True or False:
The room the old man sleeps in (where the narrator enters to watch him while he sleeps) is best described as: bright, welcoming, and warm.
False. It's pitch black, dark, and scary!
What year did Edgar Allan Poe die?
1849
In "The Tell-Tale Heart," the narrator drags the old man off the bed and finally kills him to rid himself of his eye!
What part of the plot is this?
Climax
Which literary device is this:
How the author writes the story, which is defined by their use of literary devices
Style
This story takes place during Carnival. Part of the tradition is that people wear costumes and attend masquerades.
As part of the celebration, how is Fortunato dressed in this story?
Like a clown.
What literary device is used in this story that refers to the constant use of dashes, colons, and repetition of words?
Syntax (Sentence Structure)
How did Edgar Allan Poe die?
No one knows! But the circumstances of his death were very strange!
What part of the plot is this?
Falling Action
Which literary device is this:
How the author wants the reader (you) to feel. The emotional response they get out of you (especially when they describe the setting).
Mood
What are the walls of the catacomb lined with that make Fortunato start coughing/getting sick?
Nitre
True or False:
To hide the old man's body, the narrator of "The Tell-Tale Heart" dismembered the body, then put the pieces inside a wall in his family catacomb, where no one would find them for at least 50 years!
False! That's "The Cask of Amontillado" (kind of)!
True or False:
Edgar Allan Poe had a great relationship with his birth parents and, eventually, his adopted parents.
False!
His father left their family and his mom died when he was young. His adopted family never officially adopted him: he had an estranged relationship with his foster father, and his stepmother never liked him.
In "The Tell-Tale Heart," the narrator thinks he hears the beating of the old man's heart, which drives him crazy, and leads to him confessing his crime to the police, which is how the story ends.
What part of the plot is this?
Resolution
For each example, identify what kind of irony is being used and explain how:
1. In Monster's Inc., the monsters are afraid of the children.
2. In Cinderella, no one knows who left behind the glass slipper except for the audience watching the movie.
3. In Mean Girls, Regina George compliments another student's skirt, but later admits it's the ugliest skirt she's ever seen.
1. Situational Irony (because you would expect children to be afraid of monsters)
2. Dramatic Irony (because the audience knows something the characters don't).
3. Verbal Irony (because she said she liked it, but in reality, she hates it).
Before Montresor finishes building the wall in front of Fortunato, what's the last thing he does to Fortunato?
He tries to get a reaction out of him (after he goes silent). He throws what's left of his torch in the hole in the wall before he seals it.
What are the 3 main symbols in "The Tell-Tale Heart"?
1. The vulture eye
2. The heart
3. Death (as in, the Grim Reaper/embodiment of death)
What name was Edgar Allan Poe shouting/repeating in the streets the night before he died?
Reynolds!