“The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe
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Describe the narrator in detail. What is your first impression of him?
A. The narrator is a man who claims that he is not crazy; however, his words seem to indicate that he is indeed crazy. He is
“dreadfully nervous” at the beginning of the story, which makes the reader wonder what he may have done to cause this
level of nervousness.
How does the opening paragraph foreshadow the events of the story? How does Poe set the tone for the story in the first
paragraph?
A. The narrator introduces the idea that we think he is “mad.” Poe uses the repetition of words and rhythms in his sentences
which project nervousness and have the effect of building tension.
What was the relationship between the old man and the narrator?
A. The narrator said, “I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had given me no insult.”
What specifically is it about the old man that troubles the narrator? Why does it trouble him?
A. The narrator is troubled by the old man’s “vulture eye.” He says, “Whenever it fell upon [him], his blood ran cold.”
What does the narrator do every night? Why?
A. The narrator sneaks into the old man’s room to see if the “vulture eye” is open. He wants to kill the old man to “rid
[himself] of the eye forever.”
To whom might the narrator be telling his story? Where do you think he is as he tells it?
A. Most likely the narrator is telling his story to the police. He is probably in jail.
"I knew what the old man felt, and pitied him, although I chuckled at heart." What did the old man feel, and what does the fact
that the narrator "chuckled at heart" tell us about him?
A. The old man felt fear because he heard and sensed another presence in his bedroom. The narrator truly is mad because he
takes delight in another man’s fear.
What was the narrator's reaction as he gazed upon the old man's vulture eye?
A. The narrator became furious at the sight of the old man’s “vulture eye” in the beam of light from his lantern.
What finally forced the narrator to leap into the room?
A. The narrator could not stand to hear the beating of the heart; he thought someone else might hear it.
How did the narrator actually kill the old man?
A. The narrator pulls the old man into the floor and suffocates him with the mattress from the bed.
How does the narrator get rid of the corpse?
A. The narrator dismembers the body and hides the pieces under the floorboards in the old man’s chamber.
How does the narrator feel after he commits the murder? Is he worried about being caught?
A. The narrator feels a sense of relief. He is not worried about being caught because he has “wisely” concealed the body.
Who came knocking at the door at four o'clock?
A. The police came to the door because a neighbor had heard a shriek and suspected foul play.
What was the narrator's reaction to the police?
A. He was calm and greeted them warmly. He explained that he had cried out in his sleep and that the old man was away in
the country. Then, he became overconfident and invited them in, showed them the house and invited them to sit.
In his triumph, where did the narrator place his chair while talking to the police?
A. He placed his chair right over the floor boards where the old man's body was hidden.
What is your explanation for the “heartbeat” noise that drives the narrator to confess? Draw on evidence from the text to support
your opinion.
A. The narrator is most likely hearing the sound of his own heart beating. When he first heard the heart before he killed the
man, it seemed that the sound only presented itself when the narrator became “furious.” It also continued to beat (and slow
down) once the old man was dead. The sound didn’t return to the narrator until he was feeling “anxious” about the police
officers in his home.
Which is more important to Poe's purpose: the murder of the old man or the description of the narrator's mental state?
A. The revelation of the narrator's mental state is more important. The murder is just one incident, the reason why we are able
to examine the workings of the narrator's mind.
By repeating key words and phrases, Poe controls the pace of his story, increases the tension, and emphasizes the madness of the
narrator. Give several examples of Poe's use of repetition.
A. Some examples are: very, very dreadfully nervous; not destroyed, not dulled; all closed, closed; slowly -- very, very
slowly; cautiously -- oh, so cautiously -- cautiously. There are more examples; these are just a few.
In your opinion, why is this story called “The Tell-Tale Heart”? Can you think of more than one meaning for the title?
A. This is an opinion question; therefore, your responses could vary. However, most people believe that the story’s title
reflects how the beating of the narrator’s heart (possibly his guilty conscience) is ultimately what “tells his tale.” Get it?
Name 3 details, descriptions, or actions that Poe uses to create an eerie and chilling mood.
A. Responses will vary here. You can really pick almost anything from the story that creates an eerie and chilling mood—a
mysteriously beating heart, dismembered bodies, middle of the night, the moans and groans of the old man, etc.