The Tell-Tale Heart
The Tell-Tale Heart
Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849)
True! --nervous --very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses --not destroyed --not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily --how calmly I can tell you the whole story.
It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but once conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye! yes, it was this! He had the eye of a vulture --a pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees --very gradually --I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever.
Now this is the point. You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing. But you should have seen me. You should have seen how wisely I proceeded --with what caution --with what foresight --with what dissimulation I went to work! I was never kinder to the old man than during the whole week before I killed him. And every night, about midnight, I turned the latch of his door and opened it --oh so gently! And then, when I had made an opening sufficient for my head, I put in a dark lantern, all closed, closed, that no light shone out, and then I thrust in my head. Oh, you would have laughed to see how cunningly I thrust it in! I moved it slowly --very, very slowly, so that I might not disturb the old man's sleep. It took me an hour to place my whole head within the opening so far that I could see him as he lay upon his bed. Ha! would a madman have been so wise as this, And then, when my head was well in the room, I undid the lantern cautiously-oh, so cautiously --cautiously (for the hinges creaked) --I undid it just so much that a single thin ray fell upon the vulture eye. And this I did for seven long nights --every night just at midnight --but I found the eye always closed; and so it was impossible to do the work; for it was not the old man who vexed me, but his Evil Eye. And every morning, when the day broke, I went boldly into the chamber, and spoke courageously to him, calling him by name in a hearty tone, and inquiring how he has passed the night. So you see he would have been a very profound old man, indeed, to suspect that every night, just at twelve, I looked in upon him while he slept.
Upon the eighth night I was more than usually cautious in opening the door. A watch's minute hand moves more quickly than did mine. Never before that night had I felt the extent of my own powers --of my sagacity. I could scarcely contain my feelings of triumph. To think that there I was, opening the door, little by little, and he not even to dream of my secret deeds or thoughts. I fairly chuckled at the idea; and perhaps he heard me; for he moved on the bed suddenly, as if startled. Now you may think that I drew back --but no. His room was as black as pitch with the thick darkness, (for the shutters were close fastened, through fear of robbers,) and so I knew that he could not see the opening of the door, and I kept pushing it on steadily, steadily. I had my head in, and was about to open the lantern, when my thumb slipped upon the tin fastening, and the old man sprang up in bed, crying out --"Who's there?" I kept quite still and said nothing. For a whole hour I did not move a muscle, and in the meantime I did not hear him lie down. 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.
Presently I heard a slight groan, and I knew it was the groan of mortal terror. It was not a groan of pain or of grief --oh, no! --it was the low stifled sound that arises from the bottom of the soul when overcharged with awe. I knew the sound well. Many a night, just at midnight, when all the world slept, it has welled up from my own bosom, deepening, with its dreadful echo, the terrors that distracted me. I say I knew it well. I knew what the old man felt, and pitied him, although I chuckled at heart. I knew that he had been lying awake ever since the first slight noise, when he had turned in the bed. His fears had been ever since growing upon him. He had been trying to fancy them causeless, but could not. He had been saying to himself --"It is nothing but the wind in the chimney --it is only a mouse crossing the floor," or "It is merely a cricket which has made a single chirp." Yes, he had been trying to comfort himself with these suppositions: but he had found all in vain. All in vain; because Death, in approaching him had stalked with his black shadow before him, and enveloped the victim. And it was the mournful influence of the unperceived shadow that caused him to feel --although he neither saw nor heard --to feel the presence of my head within the room.
When I had waited a long time, very patiently, without hearing him lie down, I resolved to open a little --a very, very little crevice in the lantern. So I opened it --you cannot imagine how stealthily, stealthily --until, at length a simple dim ray, like the thread of the spider, shot from out the crevice and fell full upon the vulture eye. It was open --wide, wide open --and I grew furious as I gazed upon it. I saw it with perfect distinctness --all a dull blue, with a hideous veil over it that chilled the very marrow in my bones; but I could see nothing else of the old man's face or person: for I had directed the ray as if by instinct, precisely upon the damned spot. And have I not told you that what you mistake for madness is but over-acuteness of the sense? --now, I say, there came to my ears a low, dull, quick sound, such as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. I knew that sound well, too. It was the beating of the old man's heart. It increased my fury, as the beating of a drum stimulates the soldier into courage.
But even yet I refrained and kept still. I scarcely breathed. I held the lantern motionless. I tried how steadily I could maintain the ray upon the eve. Meantime the hellish tattoo of the heart increased. It grew quicker and quicker, and louder and louder every instant. The old man's terror must have been extreme! It grew louder, I say, louder every moment! --do you mark me well I have told you that I am nervous: so I am. And now at the dead hour of the night, amid the dreadful silence of that old house, so strange a noise as this excited me to uncontrollable terror. Yet, for some minutes longer I refrained and stood still. But the beating grew louder, louder! I thought the heart must burst. And now a new anxiety seized me --the sound would be heard by a neighbour! The old man's hour had come! With a loud yell, I threw open the lantern and leaped into the room. He shrieked once --once only. In an instant I dragged him to the floor, and pulled the heavy bed over him. I then smiled gaily, to find the deed so far done. But, for many minutes, the heart beat on with a muffled sound. This, however, did not vex me; it would not be heard through the wall. At length it ceased. The old man was dead. I removed the bed and examined the corpse. Yes, he was stone, stone dead. I placed my hand upon the heart and held it there many minutes. There was no pulsation. He was stone dead. His eve would trouble me no more.
If still you think me mad, you will think so no longer when I describe the wise precautions I took for the concealment of the body. The night waned, and I worked hastily, but in silence. First of all I dismembered the corpse. I cut off the head and the arms and the legs. I then took up three planks from the flooring of the chamber, and deposited all between the scantlings. I then replaced the boards so cleverly, so cunningly, that no human eye --not even his --could have detected any thing wrong. There was nothing to wash out --no stain of any kind --no blood-spot whatever. I had been too wary for that. A tub had caught all --ha! ha! When I had made an end of these labors, it was four o'clock --still dark as midnight. As the bell sounded the hour, there came a knocking at the street door. I went down to open it with a light heart, --for what had I now to fear? There entered three men, who introduced themselves, with perfect suavity, as officers of the police. A shriek had been heard by a neighbour during the night; suspicion of foul play had been aroused; information had been lodged at the police office, and they (the officers) had been deputed to search the premises. I smiled, --for what had I to fear? I bade the gentlemen welcome. The shriek, I said, was my own in a dream. The old man, I mentioned, was absent in the country. I took my visitors all over the house. I bade them search --search well. I led them, at length, to his chamber. I showed them his treasures, secure, undisturbed. In the enthusiasm of my confidence, I brought chairs into the room, and desired them here to rest from their fatigues, while I myself, in the wild audacity of my perfect triumph, placed my own seat upon the very spot beneath which reposed the corpse of the victim.
The officers were satisfied. My manner had convinced them. I was singularly at ease. They sat, and while I answered cheerily, they chatted of familiar things. But, ere long, I felt myself getting pale and wished them gone. My head ached, and I fancied a ringing in my ears: but still they sat and still chatted. The ringing became more distinct: --It continued and became more distinct: I talked more freely to get rid of the feeling: but it continued and gained definiteness --until, at length, I found that the noise was not within my ears. No doubt I now grew very pale; --but I talked more fluently, and with a heightened voice. Yet the sound increased --and what could I do? It was a low, dull, quick sound --much such a sound as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. I gasped for breath --and yet the officers heard it not. I talked more quickly --more vehemently; but the noise steadily increased. I arose and argued about trifles, in a high key and with violent gesticulations; but the noise steadily increased. Why would they not be gone? I paced the floor to and fro with heavy strides, as if excited to fury by the observations of the men --but the noise steadily increased. Oh God! what could I do? I foamed --I raved --I swore! I swung the chair upon which I had been sitting, and grated it upon the boards, but the noise arose over all and continually increased. It grew louder --louder --louder! And still the men chatted pleasantly, and smiled. Was it possible they heard not? Almighty God! --no, no! They heard! --they suspected! --they knew! --they were making a mockery of my horror!-this I thought, and this I think. But anything was better than this agony! Anything was more tolerable than this derision! I could bear those hypocritical smiles no longer! I felt that I must scream or die! and now --again! --hark! louder! louder! louder! louder!
"Villains!" I shrieked, "dissemble no more! I admit the deed! --tear up the planks! here, here! --It is the beating of his hideous heart!"
Questions for Discussion
1. Which of the following words best describes the narrator?
A) deranged
B) timid
C) inventive
D) depressing
E) predictable
The narrator claims he is not mad. What evidence do we have that he is?
A) He murders an old man because of his "vulture eye."
B) He hears sounds from hell.
C) He hears the beating of a dead man's heart.
D) He is paranoid.
E) all of the above
4. Which word best describes the mood of the story?
A) frivoulous
B) somber
C) horrifying
D) tranquil
E) tense
5. Reread these lines from the beginning of “The Tell-Tale Heart”:
You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing. But you should have seen me. You should have seen how wisely I proceeded—with what caution—.…
Which of the following questions might a reader of that passage have?
A) Is the narrator lonely?
B) Is the narrator insane?
C) Will the narrator's story be long or short?
D) Will the narrator find true love?
E) none of the above
2. What is it about the old man that scares and angers the narrator of “The Tell-Tale Heart”?
A) his clouded blue eye
B) his old house
C) his children
D) his pet snake
E) his snoring
3. What does the old man in “The Tell-Tale Heart” do when he hears a noise on the eighth night?
A) He reaches for a gun.
B) He begins to sob with terror.
C) He walks to the door.
D) He sits up and asks who is there.
E) He summons the police.
4. The narrator of “The Tell-Tale Heart” chuckles at the old man's fear. What does this response tell you about the narrator?
A) He likes comedy.
B) He is impatient.
C) He is cruel.
D) He is tired.
E) none of the above
5. Where does the narrator of “The Tell-Tale Heart” hide the old man's body?
A) in a grave in the backyard
B) in a closet
C) under a pile of blankets
D) under the floorboards
E) in a trash bin
6. In “The Tell-Tale Heart,” why does a neighbor call the police to the house?
a. He heard a shriek.
b. He heard a loud, repetitive thumping.
c. He saw the murder through a window.
d. He saw the murder in a dream.
7. What does the narrator of “The Tell-Tale Heart” want people to think about him?
a. He wants people to think he is pleasant.
b. He wants people to think he is crazy.
c. He wants people to think he is intelligent and patient.
d. He wants people to think he is angry at the old man.
8. What does the narrator start to think he hears as “The Tell-Tale Heart” progresses?
a. the roar of the ocean
b. the sounds of neighbors
c. a heart beating
d. the old man's increasingly loud groans
9. On the eighth night, the narrator of “The Tell-Tale Heart” grows furious. How do the old man's
feelings contrast with the narrator's?
a. The old man is calm.
b. The old man is fearful.
c. The old man is joyful.
d. The old man is bored.
10. As “The Tell-Tale Heart” progresses, how does the narrator's mood change?
a. He becomes increasingly puzzled.
b. He becomes increasingly excited.
c. He becomes increasingly calm.
d. He becomes increasingly happy.
11. Why does the narrator finally confess to the murder?
a.
b.
c.
d.
He wants to shock the police officers.
He thinks the officers hear the heartbeat and are mocking him.
The neighbor hears a shriek.
He wants to be rewarded for the intelligence of his murder plan.
Vocabulary and Grammar
12. Which word is closest in meaning to acute?
a.
b.
c.
d.
dull
close
previous
sharp
16. What statement about the narrator is not reasonable, based on the following passage from “The
Tell-Tale Heart”?
True!—nervous—very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am
mad? The disease had sharpened my senses—not destroyed—not dulled them.
a. The narrator is probably tired.
b. The narrator is probably insane.
c. The narrator is nervous.
d. The narrator has a disease.
17. Why does the narrator of “The Tell-Tale Heart” want to kill the old man?
a. He wants the old man's money.
b. He hates the old man's clouded blue eye.
c. He is tired of the old man's complaints.
d. He wants the house to himself.
18. Why does the narrator of “The Tell-Tale Heart” greet the old man so heartily every morning?
a.
b.
c.
d.
because he really cares for him
out of habit
because he is a cheerful fellow
to reassure the old man
19. On what character traits does the narrator of “The Tell-Tale Heart” pride himself?
a. his abilities to lie and steal
b. his sneakiness and his fear
c. his wit and his confidence
d. his intelligence and his patience
20. What does the narrator's action as described in the following sentence from “The Tell-Tale Heart”
tell you about him?
It took me an hour to place my whole head within the opening so far that I could see him as he lay
upon his bed.
a. He is very frightened.
b. He is very intelligent.
c. He is very tired.
d. He is very cautious.
21. On opening the door to the old man's room on the eighth night, the narrator of “The Tell-Tale Heart”
feels
a. unexpectedly frightened.
b. unexpectedly powerful.
c. no different than usual.
d. a slight chill.
22. In “The Tell-Tale Heart,” what is different about the old man's reaction to the narrator's intrusion on
the eighth night?
a. He is armed.
b. He seems unconcerned.
c. He wakes up and asks who is there.
d. He invites the man to sit down and talk.
23. What characteristic of the narrator of “The Tell-Tale Heart” is evident in the following sentence?
I knew what the old man felt, and pitied him, although I chuckled at heart.
a. cruelty
b. insanity
c. sense of humor
d. excitability
24. Why does the narrator of “The Tell-Tale Heart” cast a beam of light on the old man's face?
a.
b.
c.
d.
to look at the old man's eye
to shock the old man
to make his way over to the bed
to reassure the old man
25. Why does the sound of the old man's groan in the middle of the night sound familiar to the narrator
of “The Tell-Tale Heart”?
a. The narrator himself has groaned in terror in the night.
b. The old man often groans.
c. The old man's groan sounds like the wind blowing, a sound the narrator often hears.
d. The old man often has disturbing dreams.
26. In “The Tell-Tale Heart,” how do the narrator's feelings contrast with the old man's?
a. The narrator is afraid of the old man, and the old man is confident.
b. The narrator feels fury toward the old man, and the old man feels fear.
c. The narrator is overwhelmed, and the old man is calm.
d. The narrator is joyful, and the old man is angry.
27. In “The Tell-Tale Heart,” why do the officers stay after they search the house and find nothing
suspicious?
a. to have breakfast with the narrator
b. to search the room more carefully
c. to wait for their superior officer
d. to talk further with the narrator
28. What sound is being described in the following passage from “The Tell-Tale Heart”?
… a low, dull, quick sound, such a sound as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton.
a. the distant roar of the ocean
b. the beating of a heart
c. the narrator's watch ticking
d. the pounding of the police at the door
29. The sound that drives the narrator of “The Tell-Tale Heart” to confess is
a. created by the police to trap the narrator.
b. coming from the neighbors next door.
c. possibly the narrator's heart pounding.
d. a shutter beating rhythmically in the wind.
30. Throughout “The Tell-Tale Heart,” the narrator gradually is taken over by
a. headaches.
b. fears for his life.
c. greed for the old man's money.
d. his madness.
31. In which sentence is acute used correctly?
a.
b.
c.
d.
why don’t the police
officers react to the sound of the
beating heart coming from the
floorboards?
A They are pretending they don’t
hear it so the villain will confess
his crime.
B They don’t know that the sound
is the old man’s heart beating.
C They are not very observant.
D They don’t hear it. The sound
is in the villain’s mind.
What does tell-tale mean?
A unstoppable
B confessing without resistance
C punishing publicly
D an outward sign