"The Tell-Tale Heart"

Consider the following line: "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 for ever."

This line best supports which major theme of the story?

• Honesty can relieve you of your guilt and help you feel better

• Fear can shape how we see things and how we act.

• Our sanity is determined by how we react to different situations.

• The truth is a matter of personal perception and beliefs.

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RI.11-12.9

In the story, what causes the conflict between the narrator and the old man?

• The narrator and the old man resent having to live together because of the narrator's disease, and so the narrator decides to murder the old man.

• The narrator is driven mad by the sound of a heart beating beneath the floorboards, and this causes him to kill the old man.

• The narrator watches the old man sleep, and when the terrified old man discovers this, the narrator kills him to keep his madness hidden.

• The narrator is terrified of the old man's blue eye and overwhelmed by the sound of his heartbeat, so the narrator kills the old man.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

Which of the following best describes the symbolism of the beating heart throughout the story?

• It represents the narrators own death, like the old man's, drawing near as he faces punishment for his crime.

• It shows there is something supernatural happening to the narrator, for the ghost of the old man is haunting him.

• It represents the narrator's guilt and worsening sanity, for the beating heart serves as a reminder of his crime.

• It signifies the narrator's anxiety about not burying the old man respectfully after killing him.

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

From what narrative point of view is this story told?

• 1st Person POV

• 2nd Person POV

• 3rd Person Limited POV

• 3rd Person Omniscient POV

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

CCSS.RL.1.6

In the exposition of this story the reader learns that the narrator intends to kill the old man with the "evil" eye. This results in what type of irony?

• Situational Irony

• Dramatic Irony

• Verbal Irony

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.10

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.2.3

CCSS.RL.4.3

CCSS.RL.4.4

Which of the following most accurately describes the narrator of the story?

• secondary

• dynamic

• sympathetic

• unsympathetic

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

The narrator of our story is described as having an unusually acute sense of hearing. How does this detail affect the story?

• It allows him to hear the war drum that forces him to kill.

• The acute silence makes the narrator so uncomfortable he must make the old man scream.

• The narrator thinks that only killing the old man will make all of the surrounding noises disappear.

• The old man thinks he can hear the old man's heartbeat and fears it will alert the neighbors, so he must silence it.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

Each time the narrator speaks of his plan to kill the old man is an example of foreshadowing.

• True

• False

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.5

Which of the following narrative techniques does Poe use to create tension/suspense during the rising action of his story?

• Flashbacks that reveal the strained relationship between the narrator and the old man.

• A slow, deliberate pace that draws the reader's attention to minute details of the narrator's murderous plans.

• Hints and details that foreshadow the old man's death and the narrator's unraveling.

• A first person narrator who provides only vague and misleading details of his actions and motivations.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

How does the narrator act towards the old man during the day?

• He is rude to him.

• He is abusive to him.

• He ignores him.

• He is friendly and kind.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6