Tell Tale Heart

Which of the following best describes the narrator?

• Nervous and Irrational

• Sneaky and Selfish

• Crazy and Sincere

• Violent and Angry

What best supports the characterization of the narrator as being nervous and irrational? Choose all that apply.

• He wants to kill the old man for his money but is afraid to get caught

• He states that he is nervous throughout the story

• The continuous mild repetition throughout piece gives a sense of hesitation to his speech, much like a nervous person.

• He is willing to commit murder over another character's physical features.

Which of the following best describes why we must question whether we can trust the narrator or not?

• He is a murderer.

• He makes claims of abilities that he may or may not possess, such as being able to hear the supernatural and a person's heart beat from across the room.

• Because he is so devious and cunning that he may be trying to trick the reader into believing something that has not happened.

• Because he has lied several times throughout the piece and thus has lost his credibility.

Which sentence from the story BEST demonstrates that the narrator believes that he is sane?

• You may think I became afraid. But no.

• Never before had I felt so strongly my own power; I was now sure of my success.

• Is it not clear that I am not mad?

• I could hear sounds I had never heard before.

What does the following quote tell us about the narrator?

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

• That the narrator is rational in his thought process towards the old man and his eye.

• That the narrator has become obsessed with the destruction of the old man due to his eye.

• That the narrator has begun to ponder what he must do about the old man's eye.

• That the narrator cares little about the old man and his deformity.

What does the narrator's repetition of the word "cautiously" in the following quote suggest?

"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 ray fell upon the vulture eye."

• The narrator is fearful of being caught in his act.

• The narrator is trying to convince the reader of his sanity.

• The narrator may be uncertain as to what to do next.

• The narrator may be considering backing out of his plan to murder the old man.

What does the following sentence tell us about the narrator?

"I went to work! I was never kinder to the old man than during the whole week before I killed him."

• He's guilty of the crime of murder.

• He's cautious.

• He's kind hearted.

• He's deceptive and devious.

Which of the following is NOT true of the narrator?

• The narrator is insane.
• The narrator is a murderer.
• The narrator buries the Old Man's body beneath the floorboards.
• The narrator probably had a happy childhood.

What does the narrator WANT people to think about him?

• He is creative.
• He is crazy.
• He is a murderer.
• He is completely normal

The narrator invites the police into the very room beneath which the Old Man's body is buried. What does that tell you about him?

• He is arrogant.
• He likes cats.
• He is perfectly sane.
• He regrets his decision to kill the Old Man.