The Tell-Tale Heart is about a man (the narrator) who kills an old man. The old man happens to live with the narrator. The reason why the narrator kills the man was because the old man had a pale blue eye with a film over it. The narrator went crazy because of that eye. After he murders the old man, he hides the body and essentially ‘put to rest’. Later, three police officers came by because neighbors reported screaming earlier in the day. The narrator talks to the police men, right by where he hid the body. Eventually, the narrator hears a beating heart which becomes louder and louder. The narrator confesses his crime to the policemen.
The narrator reminded me of when Achilles removes himself from battle in The Iliad. The narrator reminded me of Achilles because the narrator is so obsessed with getting rid of the staring eye, he doesn’t think of the consequences such as murder. I think it was interesting how only the narrator hears the heart, so he confesses his crime to the policemen to relieve his guilt.
Overall, I think this is a good short story and I recommend it to anyone who likes Edgar Allen Poe.
Giordano, Robert. “The Tell-Tale Heart.” Poestories.com. September 30,2008