The Tell-Tale Heart Analysis
54 Questions
10 Views

Choose a study mode

Play Quiz
Study Flashcards
Spaced Repetition
Chat to lesson

Podcast

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

Questions and Answers

What is the narrator's primary motivation for wanting to kill the old man?

  • The old man's pale blue eye (correct)
  • The old man's wealth
  • The old man's evil actions
  • The narrator's madness

    • The narrator admits to being calm and collected.

    True

    What time of night did the narrator enter the old man's room?

    midnight

    The narrator describes the old man's eye as resembling that of a ______.

    <p>vulture</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the following actions to their descriptions:

    <p>Opening the door = done gently Moving his head = done slowly Opening the lantern = done cautiously Speaking to the old man = done courageously</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How many nights did the narrator peek in on the old man?

    <p>Seven</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The narrator felt hatred for the old man.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why couldn't the narrator complete his 'work' the first six nights he entered the room?

    <p>the old man's eye was closed</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What caused the old man to cry out, "Who's there?"

    <p>The narrator's thumb slipping on the lantern fastening</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The narrator felt fear when the old man moved in bed.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to the narrator what was the old man attempting to convince himself the noises were?

    <p>The wind in the chimney, a mouse crossing the floor, or a cricket chirping</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The narrator opened the door little by little, and the old man did not even ________ of his secret deeds.

    <p>dream</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the descriptions to the correct actions:

    <p>The narrator's movement speed = Slower than a watch's minute hand The room's appearance = Black as pitch The old man's reaction after hearing a noise = Sprang up in bed The type of groan the narrator heard = Groan of mortal terror</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How did the narrator know the old man was awake and fearful?

    <p>The narrator heard a groan of mortal terror</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The narrator felt pity for the old man's terror.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did the narrator mean when they said 'Death, in approaching him had stalked with his black shadow before him, and enveloped the victim.'?

    <p>That the old man's awareness of danger was a sign of his impending death</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the narrator looking at through the crevice in the lantern?

    <p>The old man's eye</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The narrator was angered by the sound of the old man's heart.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did the narrator do after the old man shrieked?

    <p>The narrator dragged him to the floor and pulled the bed over him.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The narrator described the light from the lantern as a 'simple dim ray, like the thread of the ______'

    <p>spider</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did the narrator believe was the cause of his heightened senses?

    <p>His over-acuteness of the senses</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The old man died immediately after being pulled to the floor.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did the narrator do to ensure the old man was deceased?

    <p>The narrator examined the corpse, placed his hand on his heart and felt no pulsation.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the descriptions to their corresponding actions in the story:

    <p>Opened a crevice = Peered through a lantern at an eye Heard a sound like a watch = The old man's heartbeat Yelled loudly = Leapt into the room Smiled gaily = Found the deed to be done</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did the narrator do with the corpse?

    <p>Dismembered it</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The narrator felt anxious when the police officers arrived.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What sound did the narrator compare to the noise he was hearing?

    <p>The sound of a watch wrapped in cotton.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The narrator replaced the planks so cleverly that no human eye could detect any _____ wrong.

    <p>thing</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the actions to the narrator's feelings:

    <p>Dismembering the corpse = Confident Welcoming the police = At ease Talking to the officers = Nervous Hearing the ringing sound = Pale</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did the narrator use to catch the blood?

    <p>A tub</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The old man was present in the house when the police officers arrived.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What compelled the police to search the premises?

    <p>A shriek heard by a neighbor.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the narrator say is impossible to explain about the idea to kill the old man?

    <p>How the idea first entered his head.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The narrator claims the old man had previously hurt him.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the narrator’s final reason for wanting to kill the old man?

    <p>His eye</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Every night, the narrator carefully lifted the cloth on his light so that a single, thin, small light fell across the old man's ______.

    <p>eye</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did the narrator compare his hand’s movement to when opening the door on the eighth night?

    <p>The hands of a clock</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The narrator felt a sense of fear when the old man cried out, 'Who's there?!'

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did the narrator believe was the 'work' he needed to do?

    <p>killing the eye</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did the narrator do immediately after hearing the old man's cry of fear?

    <p>The narrator lifted the cloth from the lantern.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The narrator was concerned that someone else in the house would hear the old man's cries.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to the narrator, what specific physical feature of the old man heightened the narrator's anger?

    <p>The old man's eye.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The narrator compared the sound of the old man's heart to the sound of a clock heard through a ______.

    <p>wall</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the following actions to the narrator's feelings and experiences:

    <p>Lifting the cloth = Exposed the old man's eye Hearing the old man's heart = Increased the narrator's anger and fear Rushing into the room crying 'Die! Die!' = The moment of the attack Cutting off the head, arms, and legs = Disposing of the body carefully</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What caused the narrator to rush into the old man's room?

    <p>The sound of the old man's loud beating heart.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The narrator thought he had committed the perfect crime because he disposed of the body so well.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the final action the narrator took to confirm the old man was deceased?

    <p>The narrator held his ear over the old man's heart.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What time of morning did the police arrive at the narrator's door?

    <p>Four o’clock</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The narrator was initially fearful when the police arrived.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What lie did the narrator tell the police about the old man's whereabouts?

    <p>The old man had gone to visit a friend in the country.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The narrator tried to cover the sound he was hearing by pushing his chair across the ______.

    <p>floor</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did the narrator compare the sound he was hearing from the floorboards to?

    <p>The sound of a clock heard through a wall</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The narrator believed that the police did not hear the sound of the old man's heart beating.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How did the narrator try to convince the police that he was not responsible for the old man's disappearance?

    <p>By being very quiet and calm</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    The Tell-Tale Heart

    • The narrator's state of mind: Extremely nervous and obsessed with an old man's eye. Claims his senses are heightened, not dulled, by the illness. His hearing is especially acute.

    • The crime: The narrator meticulously plans and executes the murder of an old man he claims to have loved. The key motivator is the old man's "vulture eye", a pale blue eye with a film over it.

    • Planning and execution: The narrator commits the murder over several nights, carefully sneaking into the old man's room. He meticulously dismembers and hides the body under floorboards.

    • The motive: The old man's unsettling eye is the driving force behind the murder. The narrator reports no other grievances or greed. He describes the eye as resembling a "vulture".

    • The revealing sound: After the murder, the narrator hears a loud, rhythmic beating sound (the old man's still-beating heart). This sound drives him to madness and confess. The sound is described as a "low, dull, quick sound," like a watch.

    • The police: The police investigate a scream and come to question the narrator, who initially tries to evade suspicion, acting very calm and rational. The relentless sound, growing louder over time, forces a confession.

    • The narrator's mental state: The narrator demonstrates a twisted and obsessive psyche throughout the story, meticulous in planning the murder and hiding the body but ultimately undone by the increasing noise. His guilt is a central theme.

    Studying That Suits You

    Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.

    Quiz Team

    Related Documents

    The Tell-Tale Heart PDF
    The Tell-Tale Heart PDF

    Description

    Explore the chilling elements of Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Tell-Tale Heart' in this quiz. Test your understanding of the narrator's psyche, the crime's meticulous planning, and the haunting themes of guilt and madness. Dive deep into this classic tale of horror and obsession.

    More Like This

    Use Quizgecko on...
    Browser
    Open
    Browser
    Browser