Often in literature, the shortest stories have the biggest meanings behind them. In “The Tell Tale Heart”, by Edgar Allan Poe, there are many different themes behind the story. The story revolves around the theme of madness. The Tell Tale Heart starts out with the narrator being driven mad by the eye of the old man he cares for. Which soon turns into feelings of accomplishment,and no sooner turning into guilt. The first part of the story, he is so confident in killing the man, and when he finally does he feels so accomplished. The overwhelming confidence turns straight into guilt, up to the point he can’t take it anymore, and gives in to his own conscious. Throughout the short story, he is slowly lowering himself into a hole of madness that
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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 forever” (p 13). The narrator is so troubled by this man’s eye, it drives him to want to murder this poor, innocent old man. The narrator is so crazed by the “vulture eye”, he almost believes its it own person. When he said “...and so it was impossible to do the work; for it was not the old man who vexed me, but his Evil Eye” (p 14), which would conclude that it 's not even the old man he is angered by, its solely the eye. Only madness would explain why someone would want to kill an innocent human being. His sanity is definitely questionable at this …show more content…
“But ere long, I felt myself getting pale, and wished them gone. My head ached, and I fancied a ringing in my ears: but still they sat and still chatted” (p 16). The man was referring to an imaginary sound, of a heartbeat, thumping in his ears. Suddenly, it was like he just fell down the pedestal he put himself up onto. Convinced the police officers could hear it, the man became very guilty of what he had done. How could they sit there, and listen to this beating, and not know where it is coming from? “Oh God! What could I do? I foamed-I raved-I swore!” (p 17) That’s when the man officially snapped. He could no longer sit there and pretend he didn’t kill the old man. He was so mad, he spilled “Villains! Dissemble no more! I admit to the deed! -tear up the planks! Here, here! - it is the beating of his hideous heart!” (p 17)
Even though there were a few emotions throughout this story, one stuck through the whole storyline, and that was madness. Although there were a few underlying emotions that affected him, they all lead back to this same path of derangement. He was crazy the entire time to even think murdering someone was morally right. The effects of his own self conscious and guilt make him go deeper in this sense of madness, and in the end he loses to this battle and gave himself
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 forever” (p 13). The narrator is so troubled by this man’s eye, it drives him to want to murder this poor, innocent old man. The narrator is so crazed by the “vulture eye”, he almost believes its it own person. When he said “...and so it was impossible to do the work; for it was not the old man who vexed me, but his Evil Eye” (p 14), which would conclude that it 's not even the old man he is angered by, its solely the eye. Only madness would explain why someone would want to kill an innocent human being. His sanity is definitely questionable at this …show more content…
“But ere long, I felt myself getting pale, and wished them gone. My head ached, and I fancied a ringing in my ears: but still they sat and still chatted” (p 16). The man was referring to an imaginary sound, of a heartbeat, thumping in his ears. Suddenly, it was like he just fell down the pedestal he put himself up onto. Convinced the police officers could hear it, the man became very guilty of what he had done. How could they sit there, and listen to this beating, and not know where it is coming from? “Oh God! What could I do? I foamed-I raved-I swore!” (p 17) That’s when the man officially snapped. He could no longer sit there and pretend he didn’t kill the old man. He was so mad, he spilled “Villains! Dissemble no more! I admit to the deed! -tear up the planks! Here, here! - it is the beating of his hideous heart!” (p 17)
Even though there were a few emotions throughout this story, one stuck through the whole storyline, and that was madness. Although there were a few underlying emotions that affected him, they all lead back to this same path of derangement. He was crazy the entire time to even think murdering someone was morally right. The effects of his own self conscious and guilt make him go deeper in this sense of madness, and in the end he loses to this battle and gave himself