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WorksheetsTell Tale Heart Practice Quiz
Total questions: 20
Worksheet time: 40mins
The author builds suspense by--
not revealing what the crime will be
having the narrator watch the sleeping victim for seven nights in a row.
having the narrator explain how clever he is
describing what is done with the victim's body
How is the narrator's sense of hearing important to the story?
He hears the police coming
The sound of the heartbeat pushes the narrator to kill and confess
The sound of the heartbeat allows him to plan carefully, very carefully.
He believes the heartbeat calms him.
What event causes the narrator to confess at the end of the story?
The constant sound of watch ticking waiting for the police to leave
The sound of his heartbeat that he believes is the dead man's
The policemen laugh and mock the narrator in his home
The neighbors heard a shriek late at night
What is the central message of "The Tell-Tale Heart"?
People shouldn't commit crimes because they are always caught.
Fear and guilt can affect the mind.
With murder comes joy.
Do not trust old people with creepy eyes.
By telling this story from the murderer's point of view, the author helps the reader
recognize the narrator's insanity
understand the old man's thoughts
compare both of the character's thoughts
understand why the police have come
The author describes the sound that narrator hears beneath the floorboards as a heartbeat. This is a symbol of what human emotion?
Happiness
Anger
Despair
Guilt
At the beginning of the story, the narrator talks about his sharp hearing, or his "over acuteness of the senses." This later plays a big role in the story's plot. What literary technique is Poe using?
point of view
foreshadowing
setting
symbolism
What is the best meaning of vehemently?
“I talked more quickly – more vehemently; but the noise steadily increased.
Passionately
Blankly
Carefully
Softly
What appears to be the narrator's claim throughout the selection?
That he did not kill the old man
That he should not be sent to jail
That he is not mad
That the old man had to die
Which sentence best reveals the narrator's confidence?
"I smiled - for what had I to fear?"
"...I now grew very pale."
"...but the noise steadily increased."
"Why would they not be gone?"
A person who displays __________________ is reckless, bold, and has a high opinion of himself.
foresight
audacity
acute
raved
The narrator argues that he is too intelligent to be crazy. He claims to have __________________ which proves he is sane.
sagacity
profound
waned
stifled
Which of the following words is the best synonym for sagacity?
stupidity
righteousness
determination
cleverness
Which of the following statements about the narrator is true?
the narrator's insanity makes him a reliable narrator
the narrator's insanity makes him an unreliable narrator
the narrator's impersonal style makes him an objective narrator
the narrator's use of the word 'you' makes him a second-person narrator
The narrator did this to the old man's dead body.
dissimulation
dismember
derision
fancy
So the old man wouldn't be suspicious, the narrator was kind to the old man during the week he was planning to kill him. This is an example of ___________.
audacity
dissimulation
fancy
derision
The narrator encouraged the police to stay longer and set up their chairs above the dead body because he was so confident that he wouldn't get caught. This reveals the narrator's ____________________.
audacity
dissimulation
fancy
sagacity
The narrator claims that the readers may think that he is crazy, but there is no evidence to prove it. So he claims the readers only ________________ that he is mad--which means readers only have an instinctual idea but no evidence to prove it.
audacity
dismember
sagacity
fancy
The narrator is convinced that the police also hear the beating of the dead man's heart and think that they are mocking him or making fun of him by not saying anything about it. He accuses the police of _________________ which means to mock or ridicule someone.
audacity
dismember
dissimulation
derision
