Tell-Tale Heart Summary
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Questions and Answers

Which of the senses does the narrator believe the old man used to detect his presence?

  • Sight
  • Touch
  • Feeling (correct)
  • Hearing

What intensifies the narrator's anger before he attacks the old man?

  • The old man's attempts to defend himself
  • The sounds of neighbors
  • The old man's screams
  • The vulture eye staring at him (correct)

How does the narrator describe the sound of the old man's heartbeat?

  • Like a baby crying
  • Like a raging fire
  • Like a clock heard through a wall (correct)
  • Like thunder

What action does the narrator take to try and quiet the perceived sound of the old man's heart?

<p>He attacks the old man to stop the beating (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does the narrator attempt to conceal the body after committing the murder?

<p>Dismembering it and hiding it carefully (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Prior to revealing the 'vulture eye', what action does the narrator take?

<p>He slowly lifts a cloth to reveal a small light (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What detail does the narrator provide to convince the audience of his sanity, but ironically suggests otherwise?

<p>His meticulous method of dismembering the body (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does the narrator initially enter the old man's room each night before the murder?

<p>He sneaks in very slowly and quietly (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the narrator's initial motivation for considering the old man's murder?

<p>An overwhelming fear and obsession with the old man's 'vulture eye'. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the narrator's meticulous planning and cautious execution of his nightly visits to the old man's room?

<p>It highlights the narrator's methodical nature despite his underlying madness. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why does the narrator emphasize the importance of concealing the light during his nightly vigils?

<p>To ensure that only the old man's eye is illuminated, isolating it as the target. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does the narrator's perception of time and his own actions change on the eighth night compared to the previous nights?

<p>He feels a surge of confidence and power, moving with greater precision and determination. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary reason the narrator is unable to commit the act of murder during the first seven nights?

<p>The old man's eye is always closed. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does the old man's reaction of suddenly sitting up and crying out, "Who's there?" affect the narrator's state of mind?

<p>It reinforces his resolve and fuels his determination. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which literary device is most evident in the narrator's detailed account of his actions and motivations?

<p>Unreliable narrator. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What can be inferred from the narrator's statement: 'For it was not the old man I felt I had to kill; it was the eye, his Evil Eye'?

<p>The narrator is experiencing a psychological break, fixating on a specific feature as the source of his torment. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why does the narrator invite the policemen into the house, despite having concealed the body?

<p>He believes his calm demeanor will deceive them and reinforce his false story. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The narrator claims the old man is away visiting a friend. What is the main purpose of this lie?

<p>To provide a logical explanation for the old man's absence and divert suspicion. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does the narrator's behavior change as the policemen continue to sit and talk?

<p>He grows increasingly agitated and frantic, talking faster and louder. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the 'sound of a clock heard through a wall' that the narrator hears?

<p>It is a figment of his imagination, symbolizing his unraveling sanity and guilt. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why does the narrator push his chair across the floor and talk louder as the sound intensifies?

<p>To create a distraction and prevent the policemen from hearing the sound. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The narrator concludes, 'They heard! They knew!' What does this reveal about his mental state?

<p>He is experiencing a delusion, projecting his own guilt onto the policemen. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What can be inferred about the effectiveness of the narrator's attempt to conceal the body under the floorboards?

<p>It was adequate enough in the physical sense, but his guilt betrayed him. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the main irony presented in this passage?

<p>The narrator believes he is clever and in control, but his guilt betrays him. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Reason for Murder

The narrator decides to kill the old man because of his unsettling vulture-like eye.

Narrator's Sanity

The narrator claims to be sane despite plotting and committing murder.

Planned Crime

The narrator meticulously plans his crime, highlighting his supposed control and precision.

Seven Nights of Waiting

For seven nights, the narrator spies on the old man, waiting for the right moment to act.

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Escalating Anxiety

The narrator's anxiety and obsession intensify, highlighting the psychological aspect of the story.

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Darkness and Stealth

The narrator uses darkness and stealth to conceal his presence from the old man.

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Covered Light Symbolism

The narrator's use of a covered light symbolizes his deceptive nature and hidden intentions.

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Old man's cry

The old man's sudden cry shatters the narrator's composure and sets the stage for the climax.

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Irrational Fear

An overwhelming feeling of anxiety and agitation, often disproportionate to the actual threat.

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Sensory Amplification

Heightened sensory awareness, where sounds and sights become intensely vivid.

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Vulture Eye Obsession

The narrator's intense dislike or revulsion towards the old man's eye.

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Mental Instability

A state of clouded judgment and disconnection from reality, often marked by disturbed thoughts and actions.

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Meticulous Planning

The act of carefully planning & meticulously executing a crime or a task.

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Burden of Guilt

The feeling of guilt or unease following a misdeed, often leading to increased anxiety and paranoia.

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Dismemberment

The act of dismembering a body, often to conceal a crime.

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Delusion

A false belief maintained despite evidence to the contrary.

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Hiding the body

After killing the old man, the narrator hides the body under the floorboards.

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Police Investigation

The police arrive to investigate a scream reported by a neighbor.

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Narrator's Alibi

The narrator claims the old man is away visiting a friend in the country.

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False Confidence

The narrator invites the police inside and encourages them to search the house.

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Auditory Hallucination

The narrator starts hearing a sound that grows louder and louder.

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Sound of the Ticking Watch

The narrator identifies the sound as being similar to a watch ticking.

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Paranoia

The narrator becomes convinced that the police can hear the sound too.

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Desperate Measures

The narrator tries to mask the sound by talking louder and pacing the room.

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Study Notes

  • The narrator insists insists that despite being ill, they are not mad, but rather have heightened senses.
  • The narrator says the idea to kill the old man came to them for no reason, as they loved him and did not want his money.
  • The narrator says that the old man’s eye, which they compare to that of a vulture, is the reason for wanting to kill him.
  • The narrator planned the murder carefully, acting friendly towards the old man during the day.
  • Every night at midnight, the narrator slowly opened the old man’s door to shine a small light on his eye.
  • The narrator did this for seven nights, but the eye was always closed, making it impossible to act.
  • On the eighth night, the narrator was extra cautious and opened the door.
  • The narrator startled the old man while he was in bed and felt like "death" was in the room.
  • The narrator lifted the light and saw the old man’s eye open, which made the narrator angry.
  • The narrator describes hearing a soft, quick sound like a clock through a wall, realizing it's the old man’s beating heart.
  • Fearing someone would hear the heart, the narrator rushed in and smothered the old man with the bedcovers until his heart stopped beating.
  • The narrator dismembered the body and hid it under the floorboards to avoid detection.
  • The narrator points out that he was careful not to spill any blood.
  • At four in the morning, three police officers arrived to investigate a cry that a neighbor had heard.
  • The narrator invited the officers inside and claimed the cry came from a dream and that the old man was away.
  • The narrator took the police into the old man’s bedroom and invited them to sit and talk.
  • As the police continued to talk the narrator became agitated by a sound that was not just in the narrators head.
  • The narrator grew increasingly agitated by the imaginary sound of the old man’s beating heart, which grew louder and louder.
  • The narrator stands up shouting and scratching at the floor
  • Becoming convinced the police were taunting the narrator, who confessed to the murder and revealed the body hidden under the floorboards.
  • The narrator screams for the heart to stop beating and questioning why it will not.

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Related Documents

The Tell-Tale Heart PDF

Description

Summary of Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Tell-Tale Heart'. The narrator recounts their careful planning and execution of the murder, driven by an irrational obsession with the old man's eye. The story explores themes of madness, guilt, and perception.

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