Planning a cohesive argument about 'The Tell-Tale Heart' | Starter Quiz | Oak National Academy

Which two symbols are the focus of the narrator's delusions in 'The Tell-Tell Heart'?

• the old man's house

• the old man's smile

• the old man's eye

• the old man's floorboards

• the old man's heart

Answer explanation

They eye arguably represents spiritual judgement, whilst the heart arguably represents guilt and/or time running out.

What form does Poe's 'The Tell-Tale Heart' take?

• long, narrative poem

• short story

• novel

• sonnet poem

Answer explanation

Poe is well-known for his captivating and mysterious short stories.

Which two methods does Poe use in 'The Tell-Tale Heart' to show the narrator's escalating delusion?

• short sentences

• mirroring

• extended metaphor

• exclamation marks

• reliable protagonist

Answer explanation

The short sentences and exclamation marks show the narrator's loss of control by the end of the story.

Which language method does Poe use in the following quotation from 'The Tell-Tale Heart': "It grew louder—louder—louder!"?

• extended metaphor

• personification

• simile

• repetition

• pathetic fallacy

Answer explanation

The repetition here reflects the narrator's obsessive character, as he becomes irrationally fixated upon certain objects in the text.

Complete the quotation from 'The Tell-Tale Heart': “Villains!” I shrieked, “dissemble no more! I admit the deed!—tear up the planks!—here, here!—It is the beating of his ___ heart!”

Answer explanation

The quotation "hideous heart" shows us the narrator's delusion, as we see his fixation on the deceased old man's heart take over his sanity.

What is the effect of Poe using an unreliable narrator in 'The Tell-Tale Heart'?

• It creates a likeable and relatable protagonist for the reader to root for.

• It adds an element of mystery because we cannot trust what he says to be true.

• It creates tension because we never know what he might do next.

• It creates a more Gothic text because Gothic protagonists are always unreliable.

• It allows Poe to be more creative with the plot and make it more dynamic.

Answer explanation

Using an unreliable narrator puts the reader in a constant state of uncertainty and anxiety that is very typical of Gothic literature.