The Best of Edgar A. Poe

Name _______________________________________________________ Date ________________________

The Tell-Tale Heart

1. How does Poe set the tone for the story in the first paragraph?

2. What was the relationship between the old man and the narrator?

3. Why did the narrator decide to murder the old man?

4. Using what examples does the narrator tell us he is not "mad"?

5. What is ironic about his telling us he is not "mad"?

6. "I knew what the old man felt, and pitied him, although I chuckled at heart." What did the old man feel, and what does the fact that the narrator "chuckled at heart" tell us about him?

7. What was the narrator's reaction as he gazed upon the old man's vulture eye?

8. What finally forced the narrator to leap into the room?

9. How did the narrator actually kill the old man?

10. How does the narrator get rid of the corpse?

11. Who came knocking at the door at four o'clock?

12. What was the narrator's reaction to the police?

13. In his triumph, where did the narrator place his chair while talking to the police?

14. Why did the narrator confess murdering the old man?

15. What is the climax of the story?

16. Which is more important to Poe's purpose: the murder of the old man or the description of the narrator's mental state?

17. By repeating key words and phrases, Poe controls the pace of his story, increases the tension, and emphasizes the madness of the narrator. Give several examples of Poe's use of repetition.

18. Why is the setting of The Tell-Tale Heart vague?

19. Whose heart did the narrator actually hear?

Part I: Using Prior Knowledge and Contextual Clues

Below are the sentences in which the vocabulary words appear in the text. Read the sentence. Use any clues you can find in the sentence combined with your prior knowledge, and write what you think the underlined words mean on the lines provided.

1. It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but once conceived, it haunted me day and night.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

2. You should have seen how wisely I proceeded with what caution--with what foresight—with what dissimulation I went to work!

__________________________________________________________________________________________

3. ...it was not the old man who vexed me, but his Evil Eye.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

4. ...I felt the extent of my own powers--of my sagacity.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

5. He was still sitting up in the bed listening;--just as I have done, night after night, hearkening to the death watches in the wall.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

6. And it was the mournful influence of the unperceived shadow that caused him to feel...the presence of my head within the room.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

7. And now have I not told you that what you mistake for madness is but over-acuteness of the senses?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

8. ...I myself, in the wild audacity of my perfect triumph, I placed my own seat upon the very spot beneath which reposed the corpse of the victim.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

9. ...they were making a mockery of my horror!...Anything was more tolerable than this derision!

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Part II: Determining the Meaning -- Match the vocabulary words to their definitions.

___ 1. conceived                     A. The quality of being discerning, sound in judgment

___ 2. dissimulation                B. Boldness; daring

___ 3. vexed                           C. Scoffing; ridicule

___ 4. sagacity                        D. To form or develop in the mind; devise

___ 5. hearkening                    E. Reacting readily to impressions; sensitive

___ 6. unperceived                  F. Concealing one's true feelings or intentions

___ 7. acuteness                      G. To bring distress or suffering to; plague or afflict

___ 8. audacity                       H. Unnoticed

___ 9. derision                        I. Listening