Starter quiz
- Which two symbols are the focus of the narrator's delusions in 'The Tell-Tell Heart'?
- the old man's house
- the old man's smile
- the old man's eye ✓
- the old man's floorboards
- the old man's heart ✓
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- What form does Poe's 'The Tell-Tale Heart' take?
- long, narrative poem
- short story ✓
- novel
- sonnet poem
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- Which two methods does Poe use in 'The Tell-Tale Heart' to show the narrator's escalating delusion?
- short sentences ✓
- mirroring
- extended metaphor
- exclamation marks ✓
- reliable protagonist
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- Which language method does Poe use in the following quotation from 'The Tell-Tale Heart': "It grew louder—louder—louder!"?
- extended metaphor
- personification
- simile
- repetition ✓
- pathetic fallacy
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- Complete the quotation from 'The Tell-Tale Heart': “Villains!” I shrieked, “dissemble no more! I admit the deed!—tear up the planks!—here, here!—It is the beating of his ______ heart!”
- 'hideous' ✓
- What is the effect of Poe using an unreliable narrator in 'The Tell-Tale Heart'?
- It creates a likeable and relatable protagonist for the reader to root for.
- It adds an element of mystery because we cannot trust what he says to be true. ✓
- It creates tension because we never know what he might do next. ✓
- It creates a more Gothic text because Gothic protagonists are always unreliable.
- It allows Poe to be more creative with the plot and make it more dynamic.
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Exit quiz
- Which of the following words can be used as a synonym for 'insane'?
- deranged ✓
- rational
- deluded ✓
- logical
- uncomfortable
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- Which piece of vocabulary best describes the narrator's crimes in 'The Tell-Tale Heart'?
- abysmal
- heinous ✓
- logical
- justifiable
- unfortunate
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- Which of the following does not need to be included in the supporting detail in a paragraph outline?
- a plot summary ✓
- potential vocabulary you might want to use
- quotations from the text
- the writer's use of methods
- the effects of the writer's use of methods
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- What is Poe's message about guilt in 'The Tell-Tale Heart'?
- that guilt is the product of insanity and needs to be processed healthily
- that guilt is inescapable and can drive a person to insanity if unresolved ✓
- that guilt is a normal human emotion that we must learn to handle
- that humans shouldn't have to feel guilt - it is an unnecessary emotion
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- What is the effect of this quotation from 'The Tell-Tale Heart': “It grew louder—louder—louder!”?
- The dashes represent the narrator taking deep breaths between each noise.
- The repetition shows the persistence of the narrator’s delusions. ✓
- “Louder” has two syllables, like a beating heart, so it's almost onomatopoeic. ✓
- The simile shows us how overwhelming the sound of the heart beating was.
- The exclamation mark shows the narrator's enthusiasm for the noise.
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- What is the effect of this quotation from 'The Tell-Tale Heart': “I foamed—I raved—I swore!”?
- "Swore" characterises the narrator as a rude and dislikeable person.
- “Foamed” might remind us of a rabid dog - connotations of disease and madness ✓
- "Raved" shows how excited the narrator was - e.g "raving" about something
- The triple shows the narrator’s escalating panic and stress ✓
- The pronoun "I" shows the narrator's selfishness, as he only thinks of himself
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Worksheet
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Presentation
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Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Poe shows us how guilt drives the narrator further into insanity and delusion.
- Single paragraph outlines are useful for organising your ideas into a coherent structure.
- Single paragraph outlines contain a topic sentence, supporting detail and a summary sentence.
- Quotations will be needed to support each topic sentence.
- A cohesive argument aims to prove one 'big idea'. All your ideas and evidence should work together to prove one idea.
Common misconception
Students often think of methods exclusively as 'similes/metaphors' etc.
The writer's method is anything they do consciously. This could be choosing one, single word over another.
Keywords
Delusional - holding irrational or untrue beliefs - in this context, as a result of mental illness.
Deranged - unable to think clearly or behave with self-control
Heinous - wicked and appalling
Irrational - not thinking with logic or reason
Cohesive - united and working together effectively to achieve a common goal
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