“There is no witness so dreadful, no accuser so terrible, as the conscience that dwells in the heart of every man.” Polybius (c. 200 – c. 118 BC) This quote demonstrates how a guilty conscience can consume you.
"The Tell-Tale Heart" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe first published in 1843. It is told by an unnamed narrator who aims to convince the reader of his sanity, while describing a murder he committed. Edgar Allan Poe demonstrates how a person’s inner turmoil and fear can drive him insane through an intricate plot, using symbols such as the old man’s eye, the heartbeat, and his own claim to sanity.
To the narrator, the old man’s eye is a representation of something that the madman fears, and refuses to accept or confront. He uses …show more content…
Throughout the story, the narrator aims to persuade readers of his mental stability. Before beginning his account, the unnamed narrator claims that he is nervous and overly sensitive, but not mad. He states, “Nervous, very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad” (1)? He offers his calmness in the narration as proof of his sanity. The narrator also mentions a disease. As stated on page one, “The disease had sharpened my senses, not destroyed, and not dulled them.” He tries to convince the reader that this “disease” or “sickness” that he has acquired has not hindered his state of mind in any way, but rather improved it, by revitalizing and awakening his senses.
In summary, the narrator’s paranoia leads him to confess to the crime of murder even though it seems that everyone around him really have no suspicion at all. His psychological instability condemns him before anything or anyone else does. One of the major themes in “The Tell-Tale Heart” is the effects of guilt or conscience and the descent into madness. In the story, the narrator’s sanity is definitely in question. He kills the old man because of his “evil eye” but then feels guilty about it.The narrator’s obsession with the eye drives him to killing the old man, leading to his own
"The Tell-Tale Heart" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe first published in 1843. It is told by an unnamed narrator who aims to convince the reader of his sanity, while describing a murder he committed. Edgar Allan Poe demonstrates how a person’s inner turmoil and fear can drive him insane through an intricate plot, using symbols such as the old man’s eye, the heartbeat, and his own claim to sanity.
To the narrator, the old man’s eye is a representation of something that the madman fears, and refuses to accept or confront. He uses …show more content…
Throughout the story, the narrator aims to persuade readers of his mental stability. Before beginning his account, the unnamed narrator claims that he is nervous and overly sensitive, but not mad. He states, “Nervous, very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad” (1)? He offers his calmness in the narration as proof of his sanity. The narrator also mentions a disease. As stated on page one, “The disease had sharpened my senses, not destroyed, and not dulled them.” He tries to convince the reader that this “disease” or “sickness” that he has acquired has not hindered his state of mind in any way, but rather improved it, by revitalizing and awakening his senses.
In summary, the narrator’s paranoia leads him to confess to the crime of murder even though it seems that everyone around him really have no suspicion at all. His psychological instability condemns him before anything or anyone else does. One of the major themes in “The Tell-Tale Heart” is the effects of guilt or conscience and the descent into madness. In the story, the narrator’s sanity is definitely in question. He kills the old man because of his “evil eye” but then feels guilty about it.The narrator’s obsession with the eye drives him to killing the old man, leading to his own