Exploring Edgar Allan Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart

The narrator, plagued by nervousness, becomes obsessed with an old man's vulture-like eye. He plans and executes the murder of the old man, concealing the body under the floorboards. When the police arrive to investigate a noise, the narrator's guilt overwhelms him, leading to a confession.

What does the narrator claim about his mental state at the beginning?

• He is mad.

• He is nervous but not mad.

• He is calm and collected.

• He is confused.

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CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

What sense does the narrator claim has been sharpened by the disease?

• Sight

• Smell

• Taste

• Hearing

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CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

What specifically about the old man drives the narrator to contemplate murder?

• His voice

• His vulture-like eye

• His wealth

• His behavior

How does the narrator describe his behavior towards the old man in the week before the murder?

• Indifferent

• Suspicious

• Hostile

• Kind

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CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

What time does the narrator choose to enter the old man's room each night?

• Midnight

• Noon

• 6 PM

• 3 AM

What does the narrator do to ensure no light escapes from the lantern?

• Keeps it closed

• Turns it off

• Uses a dim light

• Covers it with a cloth

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CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

What sound ultimately drives the narrator to commit the murder?

• The old man's groan

• The ticking of a clock

• The creaking of the door

• The old man's heartbeat

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CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

How does the narrator dispose of the old man's body?

• Throws it in the river

• Burns it

• Buries it in the garden

• Dismembers it and hides it under the floorboards

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CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

What excuse does the narrator give the police for the shriek heard by the neighbor?

• It was a movie

• It was a cat

• It was the old man

• It was a nightmare

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CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

What ultimately causes the narrator to confess to the crime?

• The old man's ghost

• A neighbor's testimony

• The sound of the old man's heartbeat

• The police find evidence

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CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6