The Tell-Tale Heart Questions and Answers
What are the exposition, rising action, climax, and falling action in "The Tell-Tale Heart"?
In "The Tell-Tale Heart," why does the narrator kill the old man?
What is the relationship between the narrator and the old man in "The Tell-tale Heart"? My English teacher is convinced that the narrator is the old man's servant, but her explanation why is not very clear, so I'm not so sure. What do you think?
In "The Tell-Tale Heart," what is some evidence that the narrator is insane?
In "The Tell-Tale Heart," what might the vulture's eye symbolize?
In "The Tell-Tale Heart," is the narrator considered reliable or unreliable?
What is the narrator's tone in "The Tell-Tale Heart"?
Why does the narrator of "The Tell-Tale Heart" wait till the eighth night to commit the murder? He watched him for seven nights, and on the eighth night he suffocated him. Why is the eighth night significant?
Why does the narrator of "The Tell-Tale Heart" think that he is not mad?
Why does the narrator wait eight days to commit his crime in "The Tell-Tale Heart"?
In "The Tell-Tale Heart," what prevents the narrator from killing the old man during one of the first seven nights?
What are three examples of irony in the story "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe?
What are the two main symbols in the story "The Tell-Tale Heart"? What does each one represent? What is one other symbol Poe might have chosen?
What does the title "The Tell-Tale Heart" mean?
What are two metaphors and two similes in “The Tell-Tale Heart”?
What is the main idea of the "The Tell-Tale Heart"?
Compare and contrast the narrator's point of view at the beginning and the end of the story. Note any differences and the possible causes behind these differences.
In "The Tell-Tale Heart," why does the narrator hear the old man's heart beat so loudly when the police are at his home?
What is the foreshadowing in "The Tell-Tale Heart"?
Why does the narrator call himself nervous but not mad?
In the story "The Tell-Tale Heart," what is an example of onomatopoeia?
Why does the narrator hate the old man's eye?
What is the theme of “The Tell-Tale Heart"?
Explain this quote from "The Tell-Tale Heart": "Death, in approaching him, had stalked with his black shadow before him and enveloped the victim."
What is the author's message in the story "The Tell-Tale Heart"?
What two character traits does the narrator demonstrate in "The Tell-Tale Heart"?
What is the main conclusion of "The Tell-Tale Heart"?
What is an example of dramatic irony in "The Tell-Tale Heart"?
Why does the narrator finally confess to his crime?
In "The Tell-Tale Heart," the narrator insists from the very beginning of the story that he is not insane. What characteristics does he say prove his sanity? What characteristics suggest his madness instead?
How does the narrator feel immediately after he commits the murder in The Tell-Tale Heart? Do his feelings change? If so, how and why?
How did the old man die in "The Tell-Tale Heart"?
In "The Tell-Tale Heart," what heart does the narrator hear at the end? What do you think this reveals about the narrator’s mental state? At what point in the narrative is the narrator pushed over the edge into both sounding an acting madly? What is Poe's "sublime"? How and when might this experience enter into the story? Some critics have suggested that Poe’s unnamed narrator is actually a woman. How might this identity alter our understanding of the story, particularly how we determine who is possibly the first victim of this story?
Give two specific examples from "The Tell-Tale Heart" that the author uses to create an atmosphere of horror or suspense. These are sentences that set or enhance the mood of the story.
Why was the narrator nice to the old man the week before he murdered him in "The Tell-Tale Heart"?
Why do the police arrive in "The Tell-Tale Heart"?
Which words would you choose to describe the narrator in "The Tell-Tale Heart"?
What are some examples of smell, taste, and touch imagery/descriptive language in "The Tell-Tale Heart"?
For a debate on "The Tell-Tale Heart," I have to say if the narrator is guilty or not and if he insane.
Why does the narrator believe he will not get caught after murdering the old man in "The Tell-Tale Heart"?
"The Tell-Tale Heart" is suitable for 8th graders for two reasons: 8th graders are mature enough to read it, and modern day entertainment is more violent than the story. List a third reason why "The Tell-Tale Heart" is appropriate for an 8th grade audience.
What is the moral of "The Tell-Tale Heart"?
What's the name of the paper that Poe worked for in which "The Tell-Tale Heart" was published?
How does the setting in "The Tell-Tale Heart" affect the characterization, theme, and the mood of the story?
In "The Tell-Tale Heart," in what way does the narrator try to prove that he is sane? Cite evidence from the story as support.
What is the point of view of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart"?
Why does the narrator ask, "have I not told you that what you mistake for madness is but over acuteness of the senses?" in "The Tell-tale Heart"?
In "The Tell-Tale Heart," what effect does the visit from the police have on the narrator?
How does repetition and the slowing down of action create suspense in "The Tell-Tale Heart"?
To whom is the narrator speaking in "The Tell-Tale Heart"?
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