The Tell-Tale Heart. Flashcards
Peter 1 (Opening) ⭐️ (first quote)
It’s true! Yes, I have been ill, very ill. But why do you say
that I have lost control of my mind, why do you say that I am
mad?”
• Speaking directly to the reader (direct address) to
convince them he is not mad, despite having admitted to
having been “ill, very ill”. This creates an air of
mystery around the narrator, as we question the nature of
the illness.
• He seems to be in total denial and is aggressive about
expressing this – this tone is created through the use of
short sentences, repetition and exclamation marks.
Peter 2 (Enticing Incident) ⭐️
“I think it was his eye. His eye is like the eye of a vulture,
the eye of one of those terrible birds that watch and wait
while an animal dies, and then fall upon the dead body and
pull it to pieces and eat it.”
• The use of imagery through the vulture suggests he finds
the eye unnerving and almost predatory. He clearly feels
a sense of danger which must be stopped.
• The eye can be seen as symbolic of a number of things
which can tell us more about the narrator:
NARRATOR’S PARANOIA: The narrator’s obsession with the eye is
indicative of his overall mental state and predisposition to
hallucinations.
Peter 3 (Rising Action) (Quote 1)
“So you think I am mad? A madman cannot plan. But you should
have seen me. During all that week I was as friendly to the
old man as I could be, and warm, and loving.”
• This shows his cruel and manipulative side as he lists
all the qualities he uses to lure the old man into a
false sense of security.
• “But you should have seen me.” - short sentence implies a
boastful tone.
• He also boasts at his ability to calculate his next moves
and suggests that this is an indication of his sanity.
Yet, the arrogance and obsession he displays in saying
this has the opposite effect, convincing the reader of
his cruel and psychotic nature even more.
Peter 4 (Climax) ⭐️ (quote 1)
“The old man gave a loud cry of fear as I fell upon him and held the bedcovers tightly over his head”
“tightly” word choice, suggests the narrator was even scared, wants the old man gone, he holds the bedcovers over his head this therefore covers his head and eye which is obviously personal to the narrator, “fell” suggests it was possibly a deep urge from within.
Peter 5 (Falling) (quote 1)
“First I cut off the head, then the arms and the legs.”
• Use of the list shows how calculating and methodical his
disposal of the body is, in contrast to the frenzied
killing. He shows no emotion and no remorse at this
point.
Peter 6 (End) ⭐️ (quote 1)
“It was a quick, low, soft sound, like the sound of a clock
heard through a wall, a sound I knew well. Louder it became,
and louder.”
• Mention of the clock ticking mirrors the beating of the
old man’s heart before his death. Again, the symbolism of
the clock suggests the narrator feels his time is running
out and everything is closing in on him.
Conclusion ⭐️
TART + Evaluation.
Introduction ⭐️
T A R T + B . O
(Title, Author, Refer To Question, Techniques) (Brief . Outline)
What is the B.O of the story?
…The story follows an unnamed narrator who becomes
obsessed with the eye of an old man and subsequently kills him. However, the
narrator’s deranged state causes him to confess needlessly at the end of the story.
The writer uses techniques like language, symbolism and narrative mode to describe
the narrator…
Peter 1 (Opening) ⭐️ (2nd Quote)
“Listen! Listen, I will tell you how it happened. You will
see, you will hear how healthy my mind is.”
• Repetition of “listen” makes him seem insistent and like
he is pestering the reader. Also through “you will see”,
“you will hear” as if he is trying to boast.
• First person narration/direct address – suggests this
could be some kind of confession but also reminds us how
untrustworthy the narrator is, as we are only hearing his
side of the story.
Peter 3 (Rising Action) (Quote 2)
“The hands of the clock moved more quickly than did my hand.”
The simile emphasises his slow, careful movements, while also
suggesting he delights in the physical superiority he shows to
be able to do this.
Peter 4 (Climax) ⭐️ (quote 2)
“He was dead! Dead as a stone. His eye would trouble me no
more.”
• The simile contradicts later events as he hears the old
man’s heart, despite the finality of his death.
• This quotation also emphasises the eye as the narrator’s
key motive.
Peter 5 (Falling) (quote 2)
“As if I was playing a game with them, I asked them to sit
down and talk for a while.”
• The simile implies that he is in control of the situation
and enjoying this. He lusts for power and believes he has
gotten away with it.
Peter 6 (End) ⭐️ (quote 2)
“Yes, I killed him. Pull up the boards and you shall see! I
killed him. But why does his heart not stop beating?! Why does
it not stop!?
• The narrator confesses to the crime in his frenzied
state, shown through short sentences, repetition and
punctuation. Here the beating heart symbolises his
enduring guilt and paranoia which leads him to give
himself up. This could also further imply his insanity,
as nobody else seems to hear a thing.
Opening sentence (after TART and B.O, but before the quotes for this paragraph.)
This section occurs after the murder has taken place. We are
introduced to the narrator who seems to be confessing to the
reader, after the fact.
Inciting Incident sentence (before the quotes for this paragraph.)
In this section, the narrator reveals his (arguably unreasonable) motives behind his hatred
for the old man and his eventual murder.
Rising Action sentence (before the quotes for this paragraph.)
The narrator begins to carefully plan the murder of the old
man, suggesting a more calculated side. Is he truly out of
control, as would be suggested by the opening?
Climax sentence (before the quotes for this paragraph.)
The narrator finally kills the old man but seems to do so in a
panic, contrasting to his earlier calmness.
Falling Action sentence (before the quotes for this paragraph.)
The narrator returns to a calm, calculated mental state as he
covers up his tracks. He believes he has gotten away with it,
even when the police appear at the house – to the extent that
he invites them in and speaks freely with them.
Ending sentence (before the quotes for this paragraph.)
Despite his return to calm, the narrator begins to hallucinate
the sound of the man’s beating heart, causing him to confess
suddenly and needlessly.
