The Tell-Tale Heart

Use this activity to engage all types of learners while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

CREATIVE WRITING: “Multiple Perspectives of ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’”

In this activity, students will write a creative story from the perspective of one of the supporting characters in Poe’s narration.

Poe’s story is told from the perspective of a narrator whose mental state is questionable. In this activity, you will write a complementary version of the story from the perspective of either the old man or one of the policemen. Consider the following questions as you begin your draft:

• What stylistic choices does Poe make in this story? How can you use a similar narrative style in your own version?
• What is the timeline of events? Which events are essential to maintain in an alternative version, and how might other characters perceive them?
• How can you maintain the original narrator’s character development while also taking creative liberties in plot and characterization?

 After you have finished and revised your draft, share your story aloud with the class. You can present your work in the form of a poster, slideshow, or other appropriate medium, but be sure to explain your choices and how they aim to maintain the authenticity of Gothic literature.

Teaching Suggestion: This activity invites students to explore Poe’s characterization in the context of a creative writing assignment. Students should frame their pieces in a similar narrative style to Poe’s narrator (i.e., first-person perspective with second-person references), taking the opportunity to rectify the ambiguities left in Poe’s original story. For an extended activity regarding narration in Gothic literature, please see the Paired Text Extension below.

Paired Text Extension:

Henry James’s The Turn of the Screw is another example of Gothic literature where the protagonist’s mental state presents questionable narration. Read James’s novella, and in a well-written response, compare and contrast the two narrators’ claims of a healthy mental state, particularly in relation to the themes of The Line Between Madness and Rationality and The Balance Between Fear and Power.

Teaching Suggestion: This Paired Text Extension works well as either an in-class discussion or a take-home assignment. To help students see important parallels and differences between texts, consider providing a graphic organizer with clearly outlined categories for comparison, such as title, setting, characters, theme, context, language, and events.

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. After the murder of the old man, the narrator is preoccupied with the sounds of the victim’s heartbeat.

• Why does the narrator hear the old man’s heartbeat even after his death? (topic sentence)
• Choose 2-3 specific moments in the text where the story emphasizes the heartbeat over all other elements of the murder. Explain how these moments relate to your claim.
• How does an otherworldly explanation or hallucination connect to the theme of The Line Between Madness and Rationality?

2. Consider the narrator’s reasoning and motivation for committing murder.

• Why does the narrator kill the old man? (topic sentence)
• Explain whether or not the narrator’s reasoning is valid. Use 2-3 specific details from the text to support your claim.
• How does the narrator’s justification for the crime speak to the larger theme of The Balance Between Fear and Power?

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. Imagine the narrator has hired you as the defense attorney for the trial. If you had to represent the narrator in court, what kind of defense would you propose? Write an essay from the point of view of a defense attorney in which you must argue your client’s case to prove their innocence.

2. Consider the role of fear within the story. Why is the narrator frightened by the old man’s eye? How does the narrator respond when the old man becomes anxious? How and why does fear motivate the narrator’s actions?

3. Edgar Allan Poe is a key figure of Gothic literature. What are the characteristics of Gothic fiction? How does “The Tell-Tale Heart” incorporate Gothic elements, and how do they affect the story?

Multiple Choice and Long Answer Questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, exams, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. What is the narrator trying to convince the reader of in the first paragraph?

A) That they are not a murderer

B) That they are justified in their actions

C) That they are concerned for the old man

D) That they are mentally healthy

2. Which of the following emotions accompanies the narrator’s realization of power?

A) Horror

B) Amusement

C) Embarrassment

D) Bewilderment

3. The narrator observes that the old man “has been trying to comfort himself […]. All in vain; because Death, in approaching him had stalked with his black shadow before him, and enveloped the victim.” Which of the following literary devices does the narrator use in their observations?

A) Parable

B) Paradox

C) Palindrome

D) Personification

4. Which of the following words best describes the overall tone of the narrator’s account?

A) Patient

B) Interrogative

C) Defensive

D) Culpable

5. Which of the following words best describes how the narrator presents their relationship with the old man prior to the murder?

A) Neglectful

B) Unreciprocated

C) Shameful

D) Unproblematic

6. Which of the following elements of Poe’s story exemplifies the Gothic style of writing?

A) The presence of the policemen

B) The increasingly frenzied narration

C) The setting of 17th-century England

D) The characterization of the old man

7. Which of the following phrases accurately describes the narrator’s initial response to the policemen?

A) Nervous and frightened

B) Shameful and suspicious

C) Arrogant and angry

D) Welcoming and confident

8. How does the old man react to the possibility of impending doom?

A) He perceives imminent danger.

B) He is blissfully unaware.

C) He is suspicious of the narrator’s actions.

D) He believes he is immune to harm.

9. Which of the following characteristics ultimately leads to the narrator’s downfall?

A) Guilt

B) Pride

C) Lust

D) Gluttony

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. Identify the narration style of Poe’s story. How does this style connect with the mood of the plot?

2. What is the setting of the story? How does this setting exemplify elements of the Gothic literary genre?