All the irony in the tale alludes to the idea of an insane narrator. The writer also provides a number of instances where symbolism is used to emphasize the theme. The heart in the first place symbolizes the narrator’s strong guilt of the crimes he committed. He seemed to hear the heart of the old man beat after he had murdered him beat. This was because of the guilt of murdering the man and the fear of being caught.
The narrator in “The Tell-Tale Heart” is totally unreliable. We are questioning his sanity from the very beginning of the story. He goes out of his way to make us believe he is not mad while he is telling the story, and tells us about going out of his way to make sure others believe in his sanity. Another thing he does to make us question his sanity and reliability is that he claims to hear things a normal person would not be able to hear. And he kills an old man for no other reason than because his eye makes “his blood run cold”.
Another conflict he faces is near the end of the book when he confesses to the murders. He at first told the detective that he had killed only Mr. Clutter and Kenyon, and then later before signing his written statement, he wanted to make it right and confessed that he had indeed killed Mr. Clutter, Kenyon, Nancy, and Mrs. Clutter. His strengths are that he is sensitive, creative, smart, and thoughtful. His weaknesses are that he comes from a troubled background, and that he has been in and out of jail. Mr. Richard Eugene Hickock is the other main character in this novel.
His job is to lead the convicted men to their doom and makes sure everything goes routinely and swift. While the servant from “A Tell-Tale Heart” is a psychopathic man who lets his obsession over his boss’s glass eye lead him to plot and carry out his death. Throughout both stories, the protagonists reach a moment when they need to take part in the organized killings though, their different views on life and responses to the deaths set them apart. As a result, even though the prison guard and the servant both played key roles in the executions of the victims, they both have different outlooks and reactions towards their deeds. When it comes to the obstacle that the prison guard and the servant face, they are both in the position of ending the lives of their victims on pre-determined dates.
I think it’s also interesting that Torres knew that the barber might kill him, but he still went to see if he would or not kill him. What surprised me about this story is that Torres knew all along that the barber might kill him. And he basically could have, or had sacrificed his life by going to the barber and having a razor right on his neck. I was also surprised that the barber didn’t go through with killing Torres. Because he kept going back and forth about killing him, and he kept on stating reasons why he should and shouldn’t kill him.
Montresor Is Just a Normal Man I think Montresor is a normal person. Yes he made his thought came real, and he actually killed a friend, but one can tell from the story that he is just a human being like us. Montresor killed Fortunato out of hatred, of vengeance. Different like some serial killer who killed because they love “killing” Montresor didn’t want to get caught, so he chose a place no one will ever notice and told the story fifty years after the incident. A serial killer will eagerly want people to find the body, so that his/her “work” will be seen.
The shocking offence of murder is juxtaposed with these words (‘no pain felt she’), which demonstrates this man’s madness due to the drastic contrast, showing his mind is all over the place. This is also repeated in an attempt to reassure himself that what he has done is okay, which is backed up with the words ‘quite sure’, as well telling us he wants her to feel no pain. This reassurance is back up in the quote ‘And yet God has not said a word’, as due to the enormity and ruling of religion in the Victorian era, he feels he has got away with it. Robert Browning is trying to show that the lack of remorse shown is due to the inequality between 19th century men and women, and that as he feels he is in control over her, he can supposedly choose her feelings/emotions for her. The lack of remorse shown in ‘Macbeth’ is demonstrated by Macbeth’s confidence in killing Banquo and Macduff’s family as well as the absence of care when Lady Macbeth has killed herself.
In the beginning, the reader thinks the narrator cares for the old man and; therefore, the atmosphere is still light and trusting. / Soon, the reader sees a turn to an eerie and dark mood. / The madman sensed, after creeping in the old man’s room, that the man’s “hellish tattoo of the heart increased,” growing “louder and louder every instant” (page). / When the reader realizes the narrator’s insanity, the story’s fear heightens. / The killer, ambushed by excitement, announces: “And now a new anxiety seized me—the sound would be heard by a neighbor!
I would say he is a static character, but you could say he is dynamic because of how he flips out in the end and the struggle he has with himself throughout the story. Since he is dynamic that will also make him a round character. The old man would be the flat character in this story. To me you could argue who or what the antagonist is obvious choices say the old mans’ vulture eye, but I think you could argue whether or not his sanity is the antagonist also. “The disease had sharpened my senses --not destroyed --not dulled them” (Allen Poe 387), after reading the story a few times I think the disease was Schizophrenia.
Point of View: 1st person IV. Style A. Flashback While talking with the police, the narrator flashes back to right before the murder when he “hears” the old man’s heart beat. B. Foreshadowing In the third sentence, the narrator tells us that he has an acute sense of hearing; this foreshadows the narrator hearing the man’s heartbeat. C. Irony The narrator, who has gotten away with what he believes to be the perfect crime, willing confesses to everything when he thinks that he hears the old msn’s heartbeat. D. Symbolism The old man’s vulture eye symbolizes the irrational fear in the narrator.