The Tell-Tale Heart

When the story opens, the narrator is saying —

• he is not insane

• the old man is cruel to him

• he is insane

• he is very confused

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As the narrator enters the old man’s room on the eighth night, —

• the old man wakes up

• the old man continues sleeping

• dogs begin to howl

• the wind begins to moan

What bothers the narrator about the old man?

• The old man’s snoring upsets him.

• The old man’s eye disturbs him.

• The old man keeps talking about his fortune.

• The old man won’t leave the house.

Why do the police come to the house?

• The narrator called them.

• The old man had asked the police to check on him every once in a while.

• A neighbor reported hearing a shriek.

• They suspect the narrator has committed a crime.

How do the police respond to the narrator?

• They accuse him of murdering the old man.

• They continue to chat calmly while he foams and raves.

• They believe that he is insane and ignore him.

• They believe his story and leave quickly.

The narrator confesses to the police because he —

• believes they must hear the heartbeat through the floor

• wants to convince them that he is sane

• regrets what he has done and wants to turn himself in

• thinks the murder will make him famous

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Which of the following details provides the strongest evidence that the narrator is insane?

• After the murder, he tells a clever lie to the police.

• The sight of the pale blue eye drives him to murder the old man.

• He is very cautious about entering the old man’s room.

• He explains that he is very nervous and his hearing is very sensitive.

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Which of the following details reveals that the speaker is an unreliable narrator?

• The narrator loves the old man and treats him kindly.

• The narrator hears sounds that exist only in his own mind.

• The narrator reveals that he lied to the police.

• The narrator explains why he lied to the police.

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The narrator believes that —

• the police are the villains who really killed the old man

• the old man is really alive

• the old man’s heart is beating under the floorboards

• he will inherit all the old man’s money

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Previewing “The Tell-Tale Heart” can help you —

• understand the story without actually reading it

• decide if the narrator is a reliable source of information

• understand what inspired Poe to write the story

• connect with the text and predict what will happen

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