8.

THE TELL TALE HEART

By Edger Allen Poe

STORY OUTLINE
The tell tale heart is a tale of horror. It reflects psychology of a killer.
He kills an old man just because he does not like the old man’s vulture-like eye. The
reason is not sound enough for a murder. But the murderer is not a mad man. He
commits the murder concisely and very methodically. He goes to the old man’s
house around midnight with a muffled light. He pushes the bedroom door open just
a little and finds the man in his bed.
The old man wakes up. The killer waits few minutes. Then he again peeps in and
finds the old man lying awake. He looks at the old man’s vulture eye with disgust
and bursts in. He pulls the old man off his bed and overturns the heavy bed on him.
In this way he smothers( ) the old man to death. Then he chops the dead body into
pieces and conceals the pieces under the wooden boards of the floor.
Just then three policemen enter the house. They ask questions about a cry that was
heard in the street. It came from the old man’s house. The killer tells them that it
might have been his own cry in a dream. He says the old man was not at home and
he had left him (the killer) to look after the house. He said he slept in the house.
Then suddenly the killer‟s fear of detection gets the better of him, He hears the old
man’s heart beating loudly under the floor. The fear goes on growing rapidly till the
killer cries out in confession, declaring that he has killed the old man. He is arrested
and taken away .The story ends on a note of horror.
Is the killer in the story a mad man?

The killer tells the story in all its detail. he went to the old man’s house around
midnight. He opened the door very carefully. But his hand slipped, and the noise
awakened the old man. He sat up in his bed. Peering into the dark. The killer waited
for about an hour. But the old man did not lie down to sleep. It seemed he was
alarmed. The killer could not bear the suspense. He darted a thin gleam of light on
the old man‟s face. It caught the vulture eye. The killer flew into a fury. He pulled
the old man down and smothered him to death under the heavy bed. Then he
chopped the body into pieces and concealed the pieces under the wooden planks
of the floor. He did all this dirty job very quietly and neatly.
The killer does the dirty job very cautiously and methodically. A madman could not
have been so cool and cautious. So the killer cannot be regarded as a madman.
But the reason for which he kills the old man is not sound enough for murder. A
normal man cannot commit murder for such a flimsy reason. Nobody in his senses
can kill a man just for his ugly appearance. Therefore the killer is not a normal man
in full possession of his senses.
The reason, for which the killer confesses the murder, is again inadequate. It is
impossible for a human heart to go on beating after death. But the killer in this story
says he clearly heard the dead old man‟s heart beating under the floor.
On the bases of these two pieces of the killer‟s reasoning we can say that he is not
a normal human being. There is something seriously abnormal and dangerous in
his nature.

What happens after the murder?

By 4O’clock the killer had disposed off the old man’s dead-body. Just then there
came a knock on the door. He opened the door. Three policemen entered the room.
They told him that some of the neighbours had reported a cry in that house. The
killer confidently told them that it was his own cry during sleep. He said the old man
was not at home.

The policemen searched the house, but found nothing to rouse suspicion. The killer
felt so safe that he began to chat with them. Suddenly he was startled by the noise
of the dead man‟s heart beating under the floor. He tried to keep cool, but the noise
became louder. He thought the policemen were also hearing that noise. He got so
nervous that he confessed the murder and handed himself over to the police.
This part ofathe
committing storyHe
crime. reveals the of
is afraid effect of fear The
exposure. on the fearemotions of a weak
keeps haunting himman after
till he is
obliged to get rid of it either by coming out with a straight confession or by killing
himself. It depends on the nature of the man. The killer in this story takes the first
alternative. He at first tries his best to hush up the fear. He goes on speaking loudly and
quickly in order to silence the voice of fear in his heart, and give the impression that he
has nothing to hide. But the fear is too strong, so he suddenly breaks down and comes
out with an open confession.
Discuss the elements of horror in the story “The Tell tale Heart”
The story “The Tell tale Heart” is a horror detective and crime story. Discuss.
The Story “The Tell tale Heart” is full of elements of horror.
It also fulfils the requirements of a detective and crime story.
‘The
murder Telloftale
the Heart’
old man.has The
a frightening start loves
killer actually as thethe killer
old has
mana and
strange motive
he has for the
no normal
reason to kill him. He wants to kill him just because he does not like one of his eyes.
This motive of the killing creates horror.
The
eighthprocess
night, heof the
waskilling
very also
proudcreates
of his horror. When
sagacity. he wenthetolaughed
Therefore, kill the old manand
quietly on the
the
old man heard him. He jumped on his bed with fear. It is very horrible that the killer
enjoyed the fear of the old man. When the reader reads about the fear of the old man
and the process of killing, he feels afraid.
We find it.the
conceal Hemost horrible
cut off situation
the head, whenand
the arms, thethe
killer
legs.dismembered the dead
It is very horrible. The body
way his to
conscience prick him is also very horrible.
Discuss the elements of suspense in the story.
Suspense starts
word ‘nervous’ from
and thecreate
‘mad’ start of theofstory.
a lot The start of the story is very sudden. The
suspense.
The narrator
is mad or not.ofHe thekeeps
story talking
sets the toreader to a task.
the reader. He wants
He asks him torepeatedly.
our opinion find out whether he
He gives
arguments in his favour and keeps the suspense alive until the end of the story. This
suspense is not satisfied. The reader is left to guess whether the narrator is mad or not.
This is first element of suspense.
When
or not.the
Whennarrator kills the
the police old man,
officers the the
come, reader wants to
suspense know whether
reaches he will
the highest be caught
point. This is
the second element of suspense.
This element
the story is fullofofsuspense
suspense.is satisfied when the killer confesses to his crime. Therefore,
Was
man?the killer a mad man? Why did the killer kill the old man? Was he a mad
We can rightly
sensitive. Perhaps sayhethat
hadthe killer
some sortwas not mad, although
of psychological he That
disorder. was disorder
very nervous and
had made
him too sensitive.
He tells the
opened the story in all carefully.
door very its details.But
Hehiswent to the
hand old man’s
slipped, house
and the around
noise midnight.
awakened He
the old
man. He sat up in his bed, peering into the dark. The killer waited for about an hour. But
the old man did not lie down to sleep. It seemed he was alarmed. The killer could not
bear the suspense. He darted a thin gleam of light on the old man’s face. It caught the
vulture eye. The killer flew into a fury. He pulled the old man down and smothered him
to death under the heavy bed. Then he chopped the body into pieces and concealed the
pieces under the wooden planks of the floor. He did all this dirty job very quietly and
neatly.
The
havekiller
beendoes the and
so cool dirtycautious.
job very Socautiously
the killerand methodically.
cannot be regardedA mad
as a man
mad could not
man. But
the reason for which he kills the old man is not sound enough for murder. A normal man
cannot commit murder for such a flimsy reason. Nobody in his senses can kill a man
just for his ugly appearance. Therefore the killer is not a normal man in full possession
of his senses.
Discuss the
the title of thetitle of the
story. ORstory.
How wasOR theWhymurderer
did the killer
caught?confess to his crime?Justify
Confession of the
the title of the killer
story at the end
suggests thatofthe
thekiller
storywill
is very
makesudden and unexpected.
this confession. However,
In the title, “The
Tell-Tale Heart” the word “heart” means the guilty conscience of the killer. That “heart”
forced him to confess to his crime.
At
thatthe start
after of the story,
committing thethe killerhewas
crime wasvery
quitenervous. We
satisfied andfindproud
him sensitive too.He
at his work. Weeven
see
laughed.
He wanted
officers to have
might overcome
heardthetheringing
ringing.of his ears, but could not. He feared that the police
He thought
pricking wasthat it was oldHe
unbearable. man’s
said. heartbeat. Actually, was
However, anything it was his guilty
better conscience.
that this Its
agony! I felt
that I must ream of die.” And he screamed.
It
thewas all suggests
story due to histhis.
heart or guilty conscience that he confessed to his crime. The title of
How
executedid the
the murder
killer kill
andtheconceal
old andthe how did body?
dead he conceal the body? How did the killer
The
he didkiller
nothad
kill been going tohe
him because thefound
old man’s room
his eye to kill
close. him forhe
Actually, seven nights.
wanted However,
to kill the old
man because he did not like one of his eyes. That eye was very ugly.
On the eighth
slowly. He was night, he of
proud was hisvery cautious
sagacity. in opening
Therefore, hethe door. He
laughed opened
quietly andthe
thedoor
old manvery
heard him. He moved on his bed. When he was about to open the lantern, his thumb
sloped, and the old man sprang up in the bed. He started enjoying the fear of the old
man and he chuckled again. He threw a thin ray of light on the old man’s eye. It was
open. However, he delayed in killing the old man. Then suddenly with a loud yell, he
jumped into the room. The old man shrieked. The killer dragged him onto the floor and
pulled the heavy bed over him. When the old man died, he removed the bed. He tried to
feel the heartbeat of the old man’s heart. He was dead.
To
the conceal
legs. Hethe tookdead body first
up planks fromhethe
dismembered it. He
flooring of the room. cutHe
off put
the the
head, thebody
dead arms, in and
the
hole and then replaced the planks. Therefore, in this way he killed the old man and
concealed the dead body.
What is the lesson or moral of the story?
The lesson
his crime andor subdue
moral ofthethevoice
storyof“The Tell Tale Heart”
his conscience. It is is that a criminal
impossible cannot
to ignore it s conceal
pricking
for long.
When
old man.we In
read thehestory
fact, carefully,
is proud of hiswesuccessful
find that the killerHe
work. is has
quitekilled
satisfied afterman
the old killing the
in the
safest way. There is no blood spot. He had also concealed the dead body under the
flooring. No one can detect anything wrong. Therefore, he laughs ha! Ha! Everything is
alright. He is rather enjoying.
When the that
confident policethere
officers come, he
is nothing to receives
fear. Hethem with complete
satisfies them thatpeace of mind.
nothing wrongHe is
has
happened. He tells a lie. He tells them that the old man is not present. He also tells
them that he shrieked in his dream. Now the police officers are satisfied.
Suddenly,
headaches.he Hegrows pale.a Now
imagines ringingheinwants to get
his ears. Thisridringing
of thebecomes
police officers.
louder. He
He isfeels
so
nervous that he says, “Oh God! What could I do?” He talks wildly. He swears. He grates
the chair on the floor just to overcome the ringing, but cannot. He fears that the police
officers may hear this ringing. He thinks that it is the sound of old man’s heartbeat.
Actually, it is his guilty conscience. Its pricking is unbearable. He says, “But anything
was better that this agony!” he further says, “I felt that I must scream or die.” And he
screams. It is all due to his heart or guilty conscience that he confesses to his crime.
Discuss
suspensethe atmosphere
in the story “Theof the
Tell story.
Tale There
Heart”. is an atmosphere of horror and
Comment.
To create
The thenot
killer did atmosphere
want to killofthe
horror first because
old man the writerofpresents
some objectthe motive of theThe
or passion. murder.
killer
loved the old man. The old man had never wronged him. He had not insulted him. The
killer had no desire for the old man’s gold. The height of cruelty was that he wanted to
kill the old man for one of his eyes. This motive of the killing creates horror.
The
eighth process of the
night, he waskilling also creates
very proud horror. When
of his sagacity. he went
Therefore, to kill theand
he chuckled old the
manold
onman
the
heard him. He moved on his bed. It is very horrible that the killer enjoyed the fear of the
old man. Then he yelled and jumped into the room. The old man shrieked with terror.
The killer dragged the old man to the floor, and pulled the heavy bed over him. When
the old man died, he removed the bed and tried to feel the heartbeat of the old man.
When the reader reads about the fear of the old man and the process of killing, he feels
afraid.
We
bodyfind him mostit.horrible
to conceal He cut situation in thethe
off the head, story when
arms, andthethekiller
legs.dismembered the dead
It is very horrible. We
feel near nausea. How cruel the killer is! His own condition after committing the murder
and the way his conscience pricked him are also very horrible.
We
storyfind the atmosphere
is very sudden. Theof suspense
word ‘nervous’ right from
and thecreate
‘mad’ start of theofstory.
a lot The start
suspense. The of the
writer
sets the reader to a task. He wants him to find out whether he is mad or not. He keeps
talking to the reader and asks his opinion repeatedly. He gives arguments in his favour
and keeps the suspense alive until the end of the story. When he commits the crime,
the reader wants to know whether he will be caught or not. When the police officers
come, the suspense reaches the highest point. This suspense is satisfied when the
killer himself confesses to his crime. Therefore, there is an atmosphere of horror and
suspense in the story.