In no way whatsoever can the murderous madman of the Edgar Allan Poe short story, "The Tell-Tale Heart," be considered a hero. A hero is defined as "a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities." Poe's narrator has none of these characteristics. He kills the weak, old man in the middle of the night, an act that shows no bravery. He appears to act as a servant to the old man, showing no traits of nobility. It takes him a week to gain the nerve to commit the murder--certainly no show of courage. His only ability appears to be his ghastly skill at dismemberment. At the very best, the narrator could be considered an anti-hero--"a protagonist who lacks the attributes that make a heroic figure, as nobility of mind and spirit, a life or attitude marked by action or purpose, and the...