Thursday, January 1, 2026

The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe Summary

 The story is told by a man who says again and again that he is not mad. He lives with an old man and takes care of him. The old man has never hurt him and has always been kind. Still, the narrator becomes afraid of the old man’s pale blue eye, which he calls the “vulture eye.” He feels that as long as the eye exists, he cannot live peacefully.

 

Every night for seven nights, the narrator goes quietly to the old man’s room at midnight. He opens the door slowly and looks at the old man while he sleeps. But he does not kill him because the old man’s eye is closed. The narrator believes he is very clever and careful.

On the eighth night, the old man wakes up and senses danger. The narrator hears the old man’s heartbeat beating very fast. The sound makes the narrator excited and nervous. He feels that the sound is so loud that neighbours might hear it. In fear and anger, the narrator kills the old man.

After killing him, the narrator cuts the body into pieces and hides them under the wooden floor of the room. He cleans everything carefully and feels proud of his intelligence.

Soon, the police come to the house because a neighbour has heard a scream. The narrator welcomes them calmly and shows them around the house. He even places his chair over the spot where the body is hidden.

While talking to the police, the narrator begins to hear a beating sound again. He believes it is the old man’s heart beating under the floor. The sound grows louder and louder in his mind. He thinks the police are pretending not to hear it and are laughing at him.

Finally, the narrator cannot bear it anymore. Full of fear and guilt, he confesses the crime and tells the police where the body is hidden.



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