... . The narrator writes that the house seems to have collected an evil and diseased atmosphere from the decaying trees and murky ponds around it. He notes, however, that although the house itself is decaying in pieces (for example, individual stones are disintegrating), the structure itself is fairly solid. There ... . Roderick then confides to the narrator that he and Madeline were twins. Over the next few days, Roderick becomes even more uneasy. Then, one night, the narrator cannot sleep either. Roderick knocks on his door, apparently hysterical. He leads the narrator to the window, from ...

• Word Count: 1485
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... the more cocky and brash of the two. His nonchalant attitude as he essentially is led to his execution sharply contrasts with Montresor's businesslike and somber attitude. As Michelle Marietta notes in her essay about death in Poe's tales, Montresor is focused to the task on hand to the point of "obsession with planning the perfect crime and equal obsession with ... that Montresor wants to make himself known to Fortunato as an "avenger" of a "wrong" (209), and also safely murder Fortunato without complication in the process. He had not before the night of his destruction, "by word or de...

• Word Count: 1679
• Approx Pages: 7
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... much to his horror, there is a razor-sharp pendulum swinging above him and slowly descending downward. One does not know if he is going to escape or die. The eighth night of stalking arrives and the protagonist kills the old man in "The Tell-Tale Heart". He catches a glimpse of the "Evil Eye" (Stern 291), driving him to murder. It takes ... knowing what will happen next. The same is true when the authorities linger in his house. With time, the heartbeat the narrator hears increases in volume and intensity. E. Arthur Robinson notes the emphasis on time in an essay he wrote about "The Tel...

• Word Count: 2349
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: High School