illustration of a human heart lying on black floorboards

The Tell-Tale Heart

by Edgar Allan Poe

Start Free Trial

The Tell-Tale Heart Questions on Suspense

The Tell-Tale Heart Study Tools

Take a quiz Ask a question Start an essay

The Tell-Tale Heart

"The Tell-Tale Heart" evokes a chilling insight into madness, as the narrator's insistent denial of insanity contrasts with his obsessive fixation on the old man's eye. The story creates a pervasive...

5 educator answers

The Tell-Tale Heart

"The Tell-Tale Heart" captures and maintains the reader's interest through suspense, direct address, and dramatic irony. Poe's use of the second person "you" and rhetorical questions immediately...

10 educator answers

The Tell-Tale Heart

The enduring appeal and widespread readership of "The Tell-Tale Heart" stem from its intense psychological depth, gripping suspense, and exploration of guilt and madness. Poe's masterful use of...

11 educator answers

The Tell-Tale Heart

The narrator's unreliability in "The Tell-Tale Heart" enhances suspense by creating uncertainty about the truth. From the start, the narrator's questionable sanity is evident, as he claims to hear...

1 educator answer

The Tell-Tale Heart

This sentence in "The Tell-Tale Heart" is best described as both ironic and suspense building. It is ironic in that, while the speaker intends it to help establish his sanity, it demonstrates his...

1 educator answer

The Tell-Tale Heart

"The Tell-Tale Heart" succeeds as a gothic horror story due to its intense psychological depth, eerie atmosphere, and themes of madness and guilt. Poe's use of first-person narrative allows readers...

2 educator answers