How does Poe set the tone or mood for the story in the first paragraph? (Hint: Think-What does the narrator assume about those reading this story? What effect does the narrator's repetition have on you?)
Which of his senses does the narrator describe as "overly acute"?
Why did the narrator decide to murder the old man?
What was the relationship between the old man and the narrator?
What does the narrator tell us to prove to us that he is not "mad"?
What is the irony of question 4?
Other than the old man's eye being open, which made the narrator nervous, what finally forced the narrator to lead into the room to commit the murder?
How was the old man actually murdered?
How does he dispose of the body?
After the police arrive at the residence, the narrator begins feeling overconfident in his triumph of murder. In what way does he show this overconfidence?
The climax is essentially the most suspensful part of a story. The climax of The Tell-Tale Heart occurs when the narrator confesses his crime. At the point, readers are very aware of how the rest of the story will end. Why did the narrator confess murdering the old man?
By repeating key words and phrases, Poe controls the pace of his story, increases the tension, and emphasizes the madness of the narrator. Give at least three different examples (with page numbers) of Poe's use of repitition.
Whose heart did the narrator actually hear before his confession?