ShmoopTube
Where Monty Python meets your 10th grade teacher.
Search Thousands of Shmoop Videos
19th-Century Literature Videos 51 videos
How did Scrooge go from being naughty to nice so quickly, and why? (Hint: contrary to popular belief, it has nothing to do with the ghost of Santa...
What would YOU do if the heart of the person you buried under the floorboards started making noise? Only one way to find out... (Note: Shmoop does...
Meet the Lady of Shalott. Not to be confused with the Lady of Shallot, who is frequently in a pickle.
The Telltale Heart 26029 Views
Share It!
Description:
"The Telltale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe is the epitome of creepy. (We know we could say that about all of EAP's stories, but it's especially true for this one.) In this short story, a nameless man kills his neighbor and buries his heart under his floorboards because the neighbor's eye annoys him. Now that the deed is done, he's telling us the story to prove he's not crazy. Good luck with that one, buddy.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.1
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.2
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.3
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.5
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.7
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.10
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.1
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.2
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.3
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.5
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.7
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.9
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.10
Transcript
- 00:03
The Telltale Heart, a la Shmoop: Do You Hear What We Hear?
- 00:09
You know that annoying person that just won't leave you alone?
- 00:13
And no matter how hard you try to be nice. . .
- 00:16
. . there's just something about this guy or gal that really drives you nuts?
- 00:23
The narrator of The Telltale Heart can relate.
Full Transcript
- 00:26
He says he likes this old guy that lives in his
- 00:28
building. . .
- 00:29
. . .except for one teeny, tiny little thing. . .
- 00:32
. . .his wild and crazy vulture eye. The eye is making him so mental. . .
- 00:40
. . .that he decides it's got to go. . .
- 00:44
. . .and comes up with a plan to off the poor old guy while he's sleeping.
- 00:49
Sure, he could have found another way. . .
- 00:51
. . .but then Poe wouldn't have had anything to write about, would he?
- 00:55
What we want to know is... why did it take him eight days to do it?
- 01:02
He tells us right from the get-go he's a nervous individual. . . .
- 01:07
. . .so maybe he just had to work up the nerve. It wasn't as if he had ever murdered anyone
- 01:14
before. . .
- 01:14
. . .at least we don't think he did. . .
- 01:17
. . .so he probably didn't want to screw it up.
- 01:20
And then there was the whole sanity issue.
- 01:24
What better way to prove you're sane than a carefully thought-out plan?
- 01:28
Yeah, we know. Insane people are never, ever methodical.
- 01:31
But taking eight days to get rid of your neighbor. . .
- 01:34
. . .at least shows you put a little thought and effort into it.
- 01:38
Then again, maybe it was just one big accident.
- 01:46
Maybe the narrator would have killed the old man on whatever day he woke up.
- 01:50
If the old guy had been a heavier sleeper. . .
- 01:52
. . .he might still be flashing that creepy eye today.
- 01:55
So, why did it take eight days to commit the crime?
- 01:59
Was the killer trying to find the courage to go through with it. . .
- 02:02
. . .was he trying to prove his sanity with his precision and planning. . .
- 02:07
. . .or was it just accidental circumstance? Shmoop amongst yourselves.
Related Videos
We may all be fools when it comes to love, but thankfully none of us will accidentally switch places with our twin brother and fall in love with ou...
This video defines utopias and dystopias, and investigates how a utopia might become a dystopia. Can a seemingly perfect world actually be a dystop...
They say that honesty is the best policy, but Jack lies about his identity and still gets the girl. Does that mean we should all lie to get what we...
Ever wish you could remember everything that you ever studied? How about everything that everyone has ever studied? Yeah, pretty sure our brains ju...
Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man is an American classic. Hope you're not expecting any exciting shower scenes though. It's not that kind of book.