“The Tell Tale Heart” by Edgar Allen Poe Comprehension Questions

Group 1
Do you think the narrator is reliable? Why or why not?
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What is the narrator’s reason for killing the old man? 

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For seven days the narrator plans the old man’s murder. What does the narrator do every night? 

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Poe uses word repetition in this story, such as “louder, louder.” What effect does this have on the reader?
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How does the narrator kill the old man? 

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How does the narrator dispose of the body? 

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Who arrives in the middle of the night, and why? 

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As the police search, the narrator becomes more and more irritated. What causes this irritation? 
 

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How do the police find out about the old man’s death?
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What is the meaning of the title? 
 

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“The Tell Tale Heart” by Edgar Allen Poe Comprehension Questions
Group 2
What does the opening paragraph imply about the narrator’s reliability? 

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__________________________________________________________________________________________
What is the narrator’s reason for killing the old man? 

__________________________________________________________________________________________
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For seven days the narrator plans the old man’s murder. What does the narrator do every night that he believes
is proof of his sanity? 

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Why does Poe use word repetition throughout the story? Find at least one example to support your response. 

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How does the narrator kill the old man? 

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__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
How does the narrator dispose of the body? 

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__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Who arrives in the middle of the night, and why? 

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__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
As the police search, the narrator becomes more and more agitated. What is the source of his agitation, and what
does it represent? 
 

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How do the police find out about the old man’s death? 

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Why is it ironic that the narrator feels compelled to confess his crime? 

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What is the meaning of the title? 
 

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“The Tell Tale Heart” by Edgar Allen Poe Comprehension Questions
Group 3
What does the opening paragraph imply about the narrator’s reliability? 

__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
What is the narrator’s reason for killing the old man? 

__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
For seven days the narrator plans the old man’s murder. What does the narrator do every night that he believes
is proof of his sanity? 

__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Why does Poe use word repetition throughout the story? Find at least one example to support your response. 

__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
What does the narrator hear on the night of the murder, and what purpose does the sound serve? 

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__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
How does the narrator kill the old man? 

__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
How does the narrator dispose of the body? 

__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Who arrives in the middle of the night, and why? 

__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
As the police search, the narrator becomes more and more agitated. What is the source of his agitation, and what
does it represent? 
 

__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
How is the crime exposed? 

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__________________________________________________________________________________________
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Why is it ironic that the narrator feels compelled to confess his crime? 

__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
What is the meaning of the title? 
 

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“The Tell Tale Heart” by Edgar Allen Poe Comprehension Questions
Group 4
What does the opening paragraph imply about the narrator’s reliability? 

__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
What is the narrator’s reason for killing the old man? 

__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
For seven days the narrator plans the old man’s murder. What does the narrator do every night that he believes
is proof of his sanity? 

__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Why does Poe use word repetition throughout the story? Find at least one example to support your response. 

__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
What does the narrator hear on the night of the murder, and what purpose does the sound serve? 

__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
How does the narrator kill the old man? 

__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
How does the narrator dispose of the body? 

__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Who arrives in the middle of the night, and why? 

__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
As the police search, the narrator becomes more and more agitated. What is the source of his agitation, and what
does it represent? 
 

__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
How is the crime exposed? 

__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Why is it ironic that the narrator feels compelled to confess his crime? 

__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
What is the meaning of the title? 
 

__________________________________________________________________________________________
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