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WorksheetsThe Tell Tale Heart
Total questions: 19
Worksheet time: 11mins
Based on the following line, what can readers infer about the narrator?
"I kept quite still and said nothing. For a whole hour I did not move a muscle, and in the meantime I did not hear him lie down."
He is patient.
He is limber.
He is tired.
He is vexed.
How do readers know the narrator is an unreliable narrator?
He is too young.
He is too old.
He suffers from mental illness.
He is actually a reliable narrator.
Why does the narrator want to kill the old man?
He hates him.
He wants to steal his money.
He wants to get rid of the evil blue eye.
He was paid to kill him.
Based on the following line, what can readers infer about the narrator's feelings after the murder?
"I went down to open it with a light heart, - for what had I now to fear?"
He is nervous about being caught.
He is confident and not worried at all.
He is wondering about who he should kill next.
He is thinking that he made a mistake.
What can reader's gather from the following line?
"Presently, I heard a slight groan, and I knew it was the groan of mortal terror."
that the old man is scared
that the narrator is afraid
that the narrator is taking his time
that the old man has a stomach ache
What type of irony is not evident in the text?
Situational Irony
Verbal Irony
Dramatic Irony
What sound does the narrator hear while the police are at the house?
the ticking of his watch
distant waves crashing
his neighbor screaming
his beating heart
Which two details from the text support the claim that the narrator is insane?
the narrator hears “things in hell”
the narrator does not want the old man’s money
the narrator is very cautious and patient
the narrator thinks the neighbors will hear the heartbeat of the old man
What character trait of the narrator is revealed in the following quote?
"I knew what the old man felt, and pitied him, although I chuckled at heart."
cruelty
sympathy
excitability
sense of humor
At the end of the story, the narrator confesses to the murder. Why does he confess?
He wants to be rewarded for how genius his plan was.
The neighbor hears a shriek.
He thinks the officers hear the heartbeat and are mocking him.
He wants to shock the police officers.
Who was the protagonist of the story?
(a)
Who was the antagonist of the story?
(a)
The setting contributes to the suspense of the story. Which line best supports that claim?
His room was as black as pitch with the thick darkness…and so I knew that he could not see the opening of the door, and I kept pushing it on steadily, steadily.
The disease had sharpened my senses—not destroyed—not dulled them.
I have told you that I am nervous: so I am.
Never before that night had I felt the extent of my own powers—of my sagacity.
What does the word vexed mean in the story?
Happy
Terrified
Annoyed
Angry
The Tell Tale Heart is told from what perspective?
Third Person Limited
Third Person Omniscient
Second Person
First Person
Which statement best states the theme of the story?
You are only insane if you believe it.
A guilty conscience is a difficult thing to bear.
Growing old can be difficult.
Relationships are built on trust.
What does the word derision mean?
to hide one’s true thoughts or feelings
putting on a false appearance that hides true feelings
feeling annoyed or irritated
the state of being ridiculed or mocked; the use of ridicule or mockery to show contempt
What does the word sagacity mean?
a dramatic gesture used to emphasize or substitute for speech
an exceptionally keen ability to see things or discern ideas
putting on a false appearance that hides true feelings
the state of being ridiculed or mocked; the use of ridicule or mockery to show contempt
What does the watch/time symbolize in the story?
the fear that the old man feels while sitting in the dark
that the narrator’s fear of the old man’s eye is irrational
the truth that the narrator is guilty
that time is running out for the old man and for the narrator
