The Tell-Tale Heart

“Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad?” 

This quote describes in detail the narrator’s supposed disease, which they believe has sharpened all their senses, particularly their hearing. However, it is more likely that the criminal is experiencing hallucinations, since they describe hearing things in “hell.” Additionally, the reference to hell implies unpleasant sounds, presumably of torture. It also foreshadows death. Finally, the narrator’s statement reveals their belief in their own superiority, as someone who is almost omniscient.

“I think it was his eye! yes, it was this! One of his eyes resembled that of a vulture—a pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees—very gradually—I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye for ever.”

The description of the eye is vivid and repetitive, suggesting a fear of disease and old age. The use of the word “vulture” brings to mind death and decay. Additionally, the film over the eye is a clear sign of disease usually associated with old age. Thus, the narrator’s irrational fear of death and disease is expressed through his hatred of the old man’s eye.

“You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing. But you should have seen me. You should have seen how wisely I proceeded—with what caution— with what foresight—with what dissimulation I went to work! I was never kinder to the old man than during the whole week before I killed him.”

This passage encapsulates the paradox underlying the narrator’s confession. In their attempt to prove they are sound of mind, they reveal their madness. None of the criminal’s actions are logical or rational, beginning with the impulse to kill and ending with the body disposal method. The murderer thinks their actions are logical, but they are neither motivated nor linked by any apparent rational explanation.

“Oh, you would have laughed to see how cunningly I thrust it in! I moved it slowly—very, very slowly, so that I might not disturb the old man’s sleep. It took me an hour to place my whole head within the opening so far that I could see him as he lay upon his bed. Ha!—would a madman have been so wise as this?” 

This passage illustrates the narrator’s obsession with madness. They use “madman” and “wise” in the same sentence to seemingly juxtapose these concepts. However, the description of the criminal’s actions in the preceding sentences demonstrates patience, not rationality. If the room is indeed dark and the old man is blind, taking an hour to open a door seems unnecessary. It is also unclear why the narrator takes such extraordinary precautions to avoid waking the old man if the goal is to kill him. Using the word “wise” right after a demonstration of the murderer’s irrational actions strengthens the impression of madness, producing the opposite effect of what the narrator intended.

“And this I did for seven long nights—every night just at midnight—but I found the eye always closed; and so it was impossible to do the work; for it was not the old man who vexed me, but his Evil Eye.”

The mention of midnight adds an element of the fantastical and supernatural to the story. The time of night between 12:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. is also known as the witching hour, or the devil’s hour, when supernatural appears and is at its most powerful. The fact that the murderer waits until midnight suggests that they might be possessed or that there might be witchcraft at work. This detail also foreshadows the other supernatural element in the story—the loud heartbeat.

“A watch’s minute hand moves more quickly than did mine. Never before that night had I felt the extent of my own powers—of my sagacity. I could scarcely contain my feelings of triumph. To think that there I was, opening the door, little by little, and he not even to dream of my secret deeds or thoughts.”

This passage subverts the narrator’s initial claim that they want to kill the old man out of fear of the “evil” eye. In this quote it becomes clear that the murderer also seeks to establish dominance and experience a feeling of power and control over their victim. In other words, the old man’s eye might be simply an excuse for a secret hatred or sense of superiority to manifest.

“It was not a groan of pain or of grief—oh, no!—it was the low stifled sound that arises from the bottom of the soul when overcharged with awe. I knew the sound well. Many a night, just at midnight, when all the world slept, it has welled up from my own bosom, deepening, with its dreadful echo, the terrors that distracted me. I say I knew it well. I knew what the old man felt, and pitied him, although I chuckled at heart.”

This passage gives us some more information about the narrator, who seems to suffer from a history of hallucinations. The phrase “many a night” suggests they have experienced such irrational fears for a long period, which might explain the seemingly sudden decision to kill. This passage also reveals inconsistencies in the narrator’s story. They say they felt pity for the old man, but such sentiment is incompatible with the plan to murder him. Most likely, the narrator has psychopathic tendencies, meaning they do not understand what genuine pity entails.

“It was open—wide, wide open—and I grew furious as I gazed upon it. I saw it with perfect distinctness—all a dull blue, with a hideous veil over it that chilled the very marrow in my bones; but I could see nothing else of the old man’s face or person: for I had directed the ray as if by instinct, precisely upon the damned spot.” 

The fact that the blue, “hideous” film over the eye so enrages the narrator suggests they are afraid of old age and disease and, consequently, death. The old man’s eye is a reminder and a promise of what will befall the narrator in the future. It is possible that by getting rid of the eye, the criminal attempts to erase death. This moment could also allude to the process of taking a photograph, which at the time had become more popular. The narrator uses an instrument that enhances his sight, uses exposure, and focuses a single ray of light to capture the image of someone else.

“And now have I not told you that what you mistake for madness is but over-acuteness of the senses?—now, I say, there came to my ears a low, dull, quick sound, such as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. I knew that sound well too. It was the beating of the old man’s heart. It increased my fury, as the beating of a drum stimulates the soldier into courage.”

The heartbeat is compared to a battle drum, the narrator to a soldier. In other words, the murderer perceives their actions as doing battle against some force embodied by the old man’s eye. That the narrator interprets the sound as a heartbeat suggests potential guilt. The sound of a watch in cotton does not automatically translate into a heartbeat, so this moment is an instance of the narrator’s act interpretation.

“And now at the dead hour of the night, amid the dreadful silence of that old house, so strange a noise as this excited me to uncontrollable terror.”

The words “excited” and “terror” create a strange juxtaposition. The narrator seems unable to identify their own emotions, or, alternatively, they enjoy being afraid. This passage also illustrates the auditory imagery used throughout the story. Poe uses the phrases “dreadful silence” and “strange noise” to engage the reader’s sense of hearing. These are powerful details, as sounds tend to excite or frighten more than simple images do. For example, soundtracks in horror films are crucial to creating suspense. In a similar way, the sounds in this story, or the lack thereof, cause the narrator to experience a surge of adrenaline.

“He shrieked once—once only. In an instant I dragged him to the floor, and pulled the heavy bed over him. I then smiled gaily, to find the deed so far done.”

This is the climax of the story. Compared to the long description leading to this point, the actual murder is portrayed extremely briefly. The narrator omits mentioning any specific emotions, except for satisfaction, expressed through their smile. The lack of feelings and the presence of an inappropriate smile support the theory that the criminal is a psychopath.

“I then replaced the boards so cleverly, so cunningly, that no human eye—not even his—could have detected any thing wrong. There was nothing to wash out—no stain of any kind—no blood-spot whatever. I had been too wary for that. A tub had caught all—ha! ha!”

This passage suggests that the old man might not be blind, otherwise he could not in any way detect the displaced boards. However, it is also possible that the narrator believes the “evil” eye to have supernatural powers, such that it could detect inconsistencies in the surrounding world despite being blind. Additionally, if the narrator had disposed of the blood in a tub, that would still leave traces. The criminal’s satisfaction seems premature and another sign of their lack of rational thought.

“In the enthusiasm of my confidence, I brought chairs into the room, and desired them here to rest from their fatigues, while I myself, in the wild audacity of my perfect triumph, placed my own seat upon the very spot beneath which reposed the corpse of the victim.”

This is one of the most macabre moments in the story. The image of the narrator sitting above a dismembered body hidden under the floor is both revolting and disturbing. Additionally, the narrator’s bombastic style of speech does not alter, and their use of the words “audacity” and “triumph” demonstrate their lack of conscious remorse. Furthermore, the old man is reduced to “the corpse of the victim,” adding an element of estrangement. The narrator is talking like a coroner who has no relation to the dead body, rather than as a close associate or as the murderer.