a state of feeling anxious or excited about what could happen

the expression of meaning by using language that suggests the opposite of the reality

The creation of suspense in 'The Tell-Tale Heart'

English

In 'A Monster Within', pupils explore extracts from Gothic fiction. In 'Gothic Poetry', pupils apply this learning to the poetry of Edgar Allan Poe.

In 'The Twisted Tree', pupils are introduced to the Gothic genre. In 'A Monster Within', pupils explore Gothic motifs in a range of more challenging texts.

In this unit, pupils explore the Gothic. They start by learning what the Gothic is, before reading extracts from 'Frankenstein' and 'Jane Eyre', practising descriptive writing and reading 'The Tell-Tale Heart'. They finally learn how to write opinion articles and then write their own.

A monster within: reading and writing Gothic fiction

Depiction or discussion of serious mental health issues including eating disorders, self-harm, suicide or attempted suicide, or the aftermath of such an event.

Depiction or discussion of mental health issues

What is meany by the term 'point of view'?

Which three words best describe the narrator in 'The Tell-Tale Heart'?

“But you should have seen me. You should have seen how wisely I proceeded”

“They heard!...they knew!—they were making a mockery of my horror!”

 “Ha!—would a madman have been so wise as this?”

"I knew what the old man felt, and pitied him, although I chuckled at heart."

Which of the following quotations from 'The Tell-Tale Heart' best shows us how dangerous the narrator is? 

In 'The Tell-Tale Heart' Poe uses {{}} to create suspense. The narrator insists that he is not 'mad' but his heinous actions suggest otherwise. 

The shorter sentences reflect the narrator's loss of control and hysteria.

The short sentences reflect the old man's time running out.

The short sentences reflect the narrator's lack of patience with the police.

The short sentences reflect the narrator's clarity and sanity in this moment.

What is the effect of Poe's use of short sentences in this quotation from 'The Tell-Tale Heart': "“Almighty God!—no, no! They heard!—they suspected!—they knew!”?

Using an unreliable narrator makes us question whether the old man really died.

Using an unreliable narrator puts us in a state of discomfort and doubt.

The narrator's unreliability makes him a wicked, but likeable protagonist.

The narrator's unreliability makes him unpredictable, which creates suspense.

The narrator's unreliability makes him charismatic and endearing.

Which of the following best explain why Poe used an unreliable narrator in 'The Tell-Tale Heart'?

that he is not mad, but dreadfully nervous

What does the narrator in 'The Tell-Tale Heart' reveal about himself in the first line of the story? 

Why does the narrator hate the old man in 'The Tell-Tale Heart'?

Which of the following words can be used as a synonym for 'suspense'?

Complete the quotation from 'The Tell-Tale Heart': "He had the eye of a {{}}—a pale blue eye, with a film over it."

"Hearken! and observe how healthily—how calmly I can tell you the whole story."

"I knew what the old man felt, and pitied him, although I chuckled at heart"

"There came to my ears a low, dull, quick sound, such as a watch makes"

"In an instant I dragged him to the floor, and pulled the heavy bed over him."

"I dismembered the corpse. I cut off the head and the arms and the legs.."

"The officers were satisfied. My manner had convinced them."

"Tear up the planks!—here, here!—It is the beating of his hideous heart!”"

Starting with the first, put the quotations from 'The Tell-Tell Heart' in chronological order.

Content guidance

Depiction or discussion of serious crime

Depiction or discussion of mental health issues

Adult supervision required

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

The creation of suspense in 'The Tell-Tale Heart'

Lesson outcome

Content guidance

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.