The Pit and the Pendulum

by Edgar Allan Poe

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The Pit and the Pendulum Questions and Answers

How does the conclusion of "The Pit in the Pendulum" impact its overall meaning?

Please explain some of the symbolism in "The Pit and the Pendulum."

What is the setting of "The Pit and the Pendulum?"

How are the description and details of the cell important to the development of the story's theme?

In "The Pit and the Pendulum," what does the narrator realize after his dream?

What are the 5 major literary devices in "The Pit and the Pendulum"?

How does the narrator manage to escape from the pendulum? After escaping the pendulum, what final method of torture/death does he face? How does the story end?

In "The Pit and the Pendulum" what are three different kinds of death the narrator almost faces, and how are they psychological and physical torture?

The narrator of "The Pit and the Pendulum" is often uncertain about how much time has elapsed and about the physical details of the prison. What does this uncertainty suggest about the narrator's state of mind?

What creates an atmosphere of horror in Poe's "The Pit and the Pendulum"?

In the story "The Pit and the Pendulum," what is the narrator's state of mind as the story opens? How does it change throughout the story?

How would you interpret this quote from the story "The Pit and the Pendulum"? "In the deepest slumber-no! In delirium-no! In a swoon-no! In death-no! even in the grave all is not lost. Else there is no immortality for man".

What aspects of the narrator's personality allow him to survive this ordeal?

In what way could this story be considered a study in the horror of the unknown?

In "The Pit and the Pendulum" how does the narrator determine the size of his prison? What error does he make?

How does the narrator describe the dungeon in "The Pit and the Pendulum"?

What evidence from the story indicates the narrator is unreliable?

Which of the following statements best expresses a major theme of the text? A. There is no greater fear than that of death and nothingness. B. Intolerance based on religious differences can lead to great suffering. C. Fear can give people hope and motivate them to overcome impossible obstacles. D. How people perceive the world around them affects how they act in it.

In Poe's "The Pit and the Pendulum," which aspect of the narrator's torture -- physical or psychological -- is more terrifying to him?

In "The Pit and the Pendulum", to what fate has the narrator been sentenced? How does he react to his sentence?

How many characters are in "The Pit and the Pendulum"? Who are they?

In "The Pit and the Pendulum," why is the narrator held captive? Why is he happy that he falls on his face? How does he escape the pendulum? What is the final danger that he faces?

What is the third method of torture that the captor uses on the narrator in "The Pit and the Pendulum"? What happens in the end?

How does Poe add tension to "The Pit and the Pendulum?" Use text examples to support your analysis.

In lines 8–13 of "The Pit and the Pendulum," describe the narrator’s state of consciousness and how it changes.

Poe opens "The Pit and the Pendulum" by describing the narrator's sickening agony of awaiting his sentence. How does this beginning contribute to the meaning of the story?

What part of "The Pit and the Pendulum" did you find most suspenseful? Why?

Who or what seems to save the narrator at the end of "The Pit and Pendulum"?

How does the ending in "The Pit and the Pendulum" affect the reader? How does his writing help to create these effects?

In the story "The Pit and the Pendulum," how does Poe use imagery in the first paragraph?

What are the first two dangers the narrator faces in "The Pit and the Pendulum"?

What are the elements of the story "The Pit and The Pendulum"?

What is the significance of the title of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Pit and the Pendulum?"

Who is the narrator of "The Pit and the Pendulum"?

How many events occur in the story "The Pit and the Pendulum"?

How does Poe create suspense in "The Pit and the Pendulum" through the use of various literary devices? What are the different types of suspense that the reader experiences?

In "The Pit and the Pendulum," did General Lasalle's arrival seem an exceptionally lucky coincidence to you?

In the poem, what effect does the lake have on the speaker?

Why is the narrator in prison?

What is the solution of "The Pit and the Pendulum"?

How does "The Pit and the Pendulum" relate to the Romantic movement?

Rats are often used as symbols of death and decay. In "The Pit and the Pendulum," how does the prisoner’s response to these rats—especially when they crawl over him—suggest that he might see them in this way?

What is happening in the first four lines of the story "The Pit and the Pendulum"? Describe the dramatic tension that this opening creates.

What does the narrator of "The Pit and the Pendulum" discover when the light is finally let into his cell?

Justify the title, "The Pit and the Pendulum" by Edgar Allan Poe.

How is the narrator finally able to see the dimensions of his chamber? What mistake does he realize he made about the size of the chamber?

In "The Pit and the Pendulum", what is inside the pit? The answer is not that obvious if you read carefully the text...

In lines 66-77 from "The Pit and the Pendulum," the narrator regains consciousness after having fainted. How does this account help create tension or suspense?

In "The Pit and the Pendulum," after his sentence of death the narrator says he could not see anything. What happens to him?

How many times did the main narrator in "The Pit and the Pendulum" lose consciousness?