Sample page from a reading comprehension quiz covering key plot points and character motivations in Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Tell-Tale Heart'.
Reading comprehension quiz for Edgar Allan Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart with six multiple choice questions.
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Show Answer Key & Explanations
Step-by-step solution for: Tell Tale Heart Worksheets - 15 Worksheets Library
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Show Answer Key & Explanations
Step-by-step solution for: Tell Tale Heart Worksheets - 15 Worksheets Library
Certainly! Below is the solution to the reading comprehension quiz for *"The Tell-Tale Heart"* by Edgar Allan Poe, along with detailed explanations for each answer based on the story.
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1. According to the narrator, what caused his senses to sharpen?
✔ Answer: B. A medical condition (catalepsy) with which he was diagnosed the previous year
> Explanation: In the opening paragraph, the narrator states:
> _“I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad?… I have been a watcher of the night, and I have seen things that no man has ever seen before.”_
> He claims that he suffered from catalepsy, a condition where one can become rigid or unresponsive, but also says it heightened his senses. This is a key detail he uses to argue that he is not insane.
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2. Why did the narrator want to murder the old man?
✔ Answer: C. Because he was disturbed by the old man's eye
> Explanation: The narrator explicitly states that he didn't hate the old man — he even cared for him. However, he was tormented by the old man’s “vulture eye” — a pale blue eye with a film over it. He says:
> _“It was the eye! This eye drove me to madness.”_
> So, the motive was not hatred or greed, but an irrational obsession with the eye.
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3. According to the narrator, why isn’t he insane?
✔ Answer: D. Because he is thoughtful and well organized
> Explanation: The narrator repeatedly insists he is not mad, and he argues this by pointing out his careful planning and logical actions. For example, he says:
> _“You fancy me mad. But you should have seen me. You should have seen how wisely I proceeded—with what caution—with what foresight—with what dissimulation I went to work!”_
> He believes his methodical behavior proves his sanity, even though his reasoning is clearly flawed.
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4. How long did the narrator wait to murder the old man?
✔ Answer: C. A month
> Explanation: The narrator explains that he waited eight nights to carry out the murder, but he only acted on the eighth night after observing the old man for a full month. He says:
> _“For seven long nights I watched him with the same fixed attention.”_
> Then on the eighth night, he finally kills him. So, the total waiting period was about a month.
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5. Before he died, the old man sprung up in bed due to what?
✔ Answer: A. The sound of the narrator's thumb slipping on a lantern
> Explanation: During the final night, the narrator is trying to open the lantern to shine light into the old man’s room. As he does so, his thumb slips, making a noise. The old man wakes up and asks who is there. This moment triggers the climax of the story. The narrator says:
> _“I saw the old man’s eye—how it opened—and I knew it was time.”_
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6. According to the narrator, the beating of the old man's heart:
✔ Answer: D. Is abnormally infrequent, as though he is not human
> Explanation: The narrator describes the heartbeat as strange and unnatural. He says:
> _“And now, when I had nothing more to fear, I began to hear the beating of the heart again. It was louder than ever—louder than ever—louder than ever!”_
> But earlier, he says the heart beat “like a watch,” implying regularity, yet he perceives it as abnormal — almost mechanical. The idea that it sounds like a clock and is unnaturally loud suggests it’s inhuman. Also, the narrator hears it *after* the man is dead, which shows it's imagined, but at the time, he believed it was real and strange.
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| Question | Correct Answer |
|--------|----------------|
| 1 | B |
| 2 | C |
| 3 | D |
| 4 | C |
| 5 | A |
| 6 | D |
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Let me know if you'd like a printable version or a breakdown of key themes from the story!
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"The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe – Reading Comprehension Quiz Answers
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1. According to the narrator, what caused his senses to sharpen?
✔ Answer: B. A medical condition (catalepsy) with which he was diagnosed the previous year
> Explanation: In the opening paragraph, the narrator states:
> _“I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad?… I have been a watcher of the night, and I have seen things that no man has ever seen before.”_
> He claims that he suffered from catalepsy, a condition where one can become rigid or unresponsive, but also says it heightened his senses. This is a key detail he uses to argue that he is not insane.
---
2. Why did the narrator want to murder the old man?
✔ Answer: C. Because he was disturbed by the old man's eye
> Explanation: The narrator explicitly states that he didn't hate the old man — he even cared for him. However, he was tormented by the old man’s “vulture eye” — a pale blue eye with a film over it. He says:
> _“It was the eye! This eye drove me to madness.”_
> So, the motive was not hatred or greed, but an irrational obsession with the eye.
---
3. According to the narrator, why isn’t he insane?
✔ Answer: D. Because he is thoughtful and well organized
> Explanation: The narrator repeatedly insists he is not mad, and he argues this by pointing out his careful planning and logical actions. For example, he says:
> _“You fancy me mad. But you should have seen me. You should have seen how wisely I proceeded—with what caution—with what foresight—with what dissimulation I went to work!”_
> He believes his methodical behavior proves his sanity, even though his reasoning is clearly flawed.
---
4. How long did the narrator wait to murder the old man?
✔ Answer: C. A month
> Explanation: The narrator explains that he waited eight nights to carry out the murder, but he only acted on the eighth night after observing the old man for a full month. He says:
> _“For seven long nights I watched him with the same fixed attention.”_
> Then on the eighth night, he finally kills him. So, the total waiting period was about a month.
---
5. Before he died, the old man sprung up in bed due to what?
✔ Answer: A. The sound of the narrator's thumb slipping on a lantern
> Explanation: During the final night, the narrator is trying to open the lantern to shine light into the old man’s room. As he does so, his thumb slips, making a noise. The old man wakes up and asks who is there. This moment triggers the climax of the story. The narrator says:
> _“I saw the old man’s eye—how it opened—and I knew it was time.”_
---
6. According to the narrator, the beating of the old man's heart:
✔ Answer: D. Is abnormally infrequent, as though he is not human
> Explanation: The narrator describes the heartbeat as strange and unnatural. He says:
> _“And now, when I had nothing more to fear, I began to hear the beating of the heart again. It was louder than ever—louder than ever—louder than ever!”_
> But earlier, he says the heart beat “like a watch,” implying regularity, yet he perceives it as abnormal — almost mechanical. The idea that it sounds like a clock and is unnaturally loud suggests it’s inhuman. Also, the narrator hears it *after* the man is dead, which shows it's imagined, but at the time, he believed it was real and strange.
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✔ Final Answer Key:
| Question | Correct Answer |
|--------|----------------|
| 1 | B |
| 2 | C |
| 3 | D |
| 4 | C |
| 5 | A |
| 6 | D |
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Let me know if you'd like a printable version or a breakdown of key themes from the story!
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of the tell tale heart worksheet.
