Tell-tale heart zelfstandig

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 4

01:18

Why does the narrator call himself “nervous” but not “mad” in paragraph 1?

04:59

How long does the narrator stand in the room the 8th night after the old man heard something?

1. one minute
2. half an hour
3. one hour
4. three hours

09:08

How does the man die?

Themes in Tell-Tale Heart

- Madness

- Guilt

- Time

The narrator spends a great deal of time trying to convince his reader that he is not, in fact, mad. The evidence that he relies on is mainly his calm, calculated approach to the crime. He plans the event very carefully and patiently, to such an extreme that it seems to confirm his claim to sanity. He describes spending an entire hour each night opening the old man’s door, for example—not to mention the irrationality of killing the man because of his eye. Ultimately, the narrator’s madness, and his inability to identify that madness, causes him to admit to his crime.

Madness

The narrator does not appear to feel remorse for his crime. He suggests that all the fault for his actions lies in the man’s eye. Because of this, the narrator had no choice but to kill him. He even recounts his story with pride, explaining how cunningly he carried out the crime. However, his panic and sudden confession at the end of the story could be interpreted as the appearance of the narrator’s unconscious guilt. He cannot stand the pressure of knowing he killed the old man

Guilt

Throughout the short story, the narrator is obsessed with time. He specifies exactly how many days he spends planning to kill the old man, the hour at which he visits his room every night, the amount of time he spends opening the door so as not to disturb the man, and the hour at which the crime is concluded. There are also numerous references to clocks and watches, as well as the sound of the beating heart, which could be viewed as another way to measure the passage of time

Time

Guilt

Madness

Time

''Upon the eighth night I was more than usually cautious in opening the door. A watch’s minute hand moves more quickly than did mine. ''

Was it possible they heard not? Almighty God! — no, no! They heard! — they suspected! — they knew! — they were making a mockery of my horror! — this I thought, and this I think. But anything was better than this agony! Anything was more tolerable than this derision!"

Now this is the point. You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing. But you should have seen me. You should have seen how wisely I proceeded — with what caution — with what foresight — with what dissimulation I went to work!"

What is the significance of the title?

What do you think the relationship between the old man and the narrator is?

Do you think the narrator would have killed the man if he did not have an “evil eye”? Cite evidence from the text to support your answer.

The two main symbols in the story are the eye and the heart. What do these symbols represent?

What sound does the narrator hear after the murder? In reality, what could it be? Why does it get louder and louder?

The gender of the narrator is not revealed in the story, although many people assume it is a man. If the narrator were a woman, how would this change your interpretation of the story?

Repetition- Poe is known for using repetition in his work. Find a line that is repeated and tell how it impacts the story.

Did you enjoy reading the story?
Why?