Mental Challenges in The Tell-Tale Heart Essay - 618 Words

Edgar Allan Poe was a famous American author who specialised in short story and gothic fiction. One of Poe’s most famous works was The Tell-Tale Heart which explores murder, mental illness, cruelty and horror. The viewer becomes aware of the unprovoked mental challenges between characters which heightens the tension and fear, as darkness envelops the reader and the strong beating of a heart gradually grows louder. In order to create a more dramatic storyline, Poe has applied a range of narrative techniques including characters, point of view, setting, and theme, to amplify the intensity of the text and to elicit fear within the reader. There are two main characters in the story of The Tell-Tale Heart which Poe has refined to reflect the†¦show more content†¦The relationship between the two characters is unclear but it is known that both reside within the same vicinity. Noises of the night and the loud beating of a heart capture the distress of the characters and contribute to the fear trapped inside the storyline. Poe has written this story through a major character who was the killer of the old man with the â€Å"eye of a vulture.† The first person point of view makes the reader feel as though they have a personal connection to the event as it gives them an insight into the thoughts and feelings of the murderer. What makes the situation so horrific is that the narrator continues to plea his sanity whilst carrying out such an atrocious act. He tries to convince the reader how cautiously the murder was planned and how a mad person would not be capable of such precision. The setting presented in this story has a very dark and gloomy atmosphere which has been used as a technique to help outline the scene. It is set in the one location; a bedroom. Poe describes the room as being â€Å"black as pitch with the thick darkness,† which deepens the effect of terror. The night setting gives the text an eerie feel as it focuses on the horrors of night time. This horror creates a noticeable impact which is recognisable when the victim cried out â€Å"who’s there?† against the backdrop of frighteningly still silence. Ultimately, the way in which Poe’s story is set builds anxiety and fear in the reader. Poe presents the text in a way that playsShow MoreRelatedEssay on A Comparison of The Tell-Tale Heart and The Black Cat832 Words   |  4 PagesA Comparison of The Tell-Tale Heart and The Black Cat Edgar Allan Poe was an American poet and writer who is regarded as a master of the macabre, focusing on the horror genre with themes of death and insanity being explored throughout his work. 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The story The tell-tale heart is an example of such. Tell-tale heart is about