Themes in The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe

What does the narrator's insistence on their sanity contrast with?

• Their actions and motivations

• Their storytelling ability

• Their calm demeanor

• Their relationship with the old man

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

What does the narrator's delight in executing the murder plan indicate?

• Extreme emotional derangement

• A desire for revenge

• A sense of justice

• A need for attention

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

How does the coherence of the narrative voice affect the reader's perception?

• It confirms the narrator's guilt

• It confuses the reader about the plot

• It makes the reader doubt the narrator's sanity

• It pulls the reader towards believing the narrator is sane

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

Which term is NOT used by critics to diagnose the narrator's condition?

• Sadomasochistic

• Neurotic

• Empathetic

• Psychotic

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

When does the narrator acknowledge their guilt?

• When the police arrive

• When sneaking into the old man's room

• When hearing the old man's heart

• When planning the murder

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

What does the beating heart symbolize in the story?

• The presence of death

• The old man's fear

• The narrator's guilt

• The passage of time

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

How does the confined setting of the story affect its drama and emotion?

• It heightens the drama and emotion

• It makes the story less intense

• It distracts from the main plot

• It provides a sense of freedom

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

What does the narrator's confinement within the house symbolize?

• Their mental entrapment

• Their physical strength

• Their relationship with the old man

• Their fear of the outside world

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

What literary device does Poe use to increase tension in the story?

• The marking of the passage of time

• Flashbacks

• Metaphors

• Foreshadowing

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

What leads the narrator to self-incrimination?

• The sound of the old man's heart

• The ticking of a clock

• The arrival of the police

• The sight of the old man's body

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6