The Tell-Tale Heart Edgar Allan Poe

A Quick Synopsis of “The Tell-Tale Heart” (Contains Plot Spoilers)

The story begins with the unnamed narrator wanting to prove his sanity to the readers. He lived in the same building as an old man with a “vulture eye”. As the story progresses, the reader learns that the narrator has become upset by the old man’s eye, which is a piercing blue color, with a white film over it. Tension builds as the narrator describes how his obsession has taken over, and he plots to kill the old man to get rid of the eye's gaze. Each night, the narrator goes into the old man’s room as he sleeps, intending to kill him. He cannot do it when the man is asleep, because his eyes are shut, and he looks peaceful. One night, the narrator creeps in and startles the old man, who screams. As the narrator glares at the eye, he finally musters the strength to rid himself of the eye and smothers the old man with his mattress. The narrator meticulously hides the body under the floorboards.

Soon after, the police arrive because a neighbor heard a scream. The narrator covers up the incident by saying the old man is out of town, and that the scream came from him. As the police are looking around, the narrator begins to hear a peculiar ticking sound; he quickly becomes mad as the sound grows fiercer in his mind. To the narrator, he believes he is hearing the sound of the old man’s heart still beating, finally leading him to confess in a moment of insanity.

Essential Questions for “The Tell-Tale Heart”

1. What are ways that an author can build suspense?
2. How do effective writers create mood in their short stories?

Other Lesson Plan Ideas

1. Use storyboards to specifically show cause and effect in "The Tell-Tale Heart".
2. Create a storyboard just depicting the rising action to demonstrate how the author built suspense.
3. Add a presentation to any storyboard project.

Pogosto Zastavljena Vprašanja o Knjigi Tell-Tale Heart Edgarja Allana Poeja

Kdo je glavni lik "The Tell-Tale Heart"?

Pripovedovalec zgodbe in glavni junak nista nikoli v celoti identificirana. Njegovo vztrajanje pri njihovi zdravi pameti in njihova natančna, celo obsesivna pripoved o zločinu, ki so ga zagrešili, ga loči od drugih. Učenci se lahko bolj osredotočijo na miselnost in osebnost pripovedovalca namesto na njegov fizični videz in ozadje, da bi razumeli njihove motive in cilje.

Kateri konflikt je v središču "The Tell-Tale Heart"?

Bitka, ki jo ima pripovedovalec v notranjosti, je glavni konflikt v romanu. Razpet je med svojo potrebo po dokazovanju zdrave pameti in obžalovanjem za zločin, ki ga je zagrešil. Učenci lahko razpravljajo o sociopatskih težnjah pripovedovalca in razlogih, zakaj se bori sam s seboj.

Zakaj pripovedovalec "The Tell-Tale Heart" želi umoriti starejšega moškega?

V središču pripovedovalčeve pozornosti je starčevo voluharsko oko, ki se mu zdi odvratno in si ga razlaga kot znamenje starčeve pokvarjenosti. Na koncu jih njegova fiksacija pripelje do umora.