Lesson: The Tell Tale Heart

Lesson Topic: Death, Madness, and Revenge

Death, Madness, & Revenge:

Edgar Allan Poe's Dark Side Explored
Written by Krista Garver

A literary theme is a fundamental or universal idea in a novel, poem,

or other form of literature. A motif is a repeated element, like a word or
a character, that helps develop the theme. Many authors use motifs to
explore the same themes throughout their entire careers. Edgar Allan
Poes works contain many themes, but the three that weave in and out
of all of them are: death, madness, and revenge.

Edgar Allan Poe was one of the

most famous poets, authors,
and literary critics of the 19th
century.

Poe features death in a great deal of his work, often as an allegory, or

character, itself. Many of Poes characters meet their deaths in violent
and disturbing ways. In The Tell-Tale Heart, the old man is murdered,
dismembered, and buried in the floor. In The Black Cat, the narrator
splits his wifes head open with an axe and then buries her in a wall. In
both The Cask of Amontillado and The Fall of the House of Usher, a
character is buried alive. Poes victims are often buried in a wall or in a
floor, or sometimes stuffed up a chimney, like in The Murders in the Rue
Morgue." This repetitive appearance of death is an example of a motif.
This illustration for "The Tell
Tale Heart" reflects the dark
theme of death in the chilling
short story.

In other works that revolve around death, the characters mourn for a loved one
who has died. The most famous example of this is the poem The Raven, in which
a mysterious raven visits a man that is spiraling into madness after the death of his
lover.
The theme of mourning is also explored in his poem of the death of a beautiful
woman, "Annabel Lee." This was Poe's last completed poem written in his final
days. It was published just before he himself met one of his favored characters,
Death.

Many plays and

films were inspired
by Poe's "The
Raven."

Madness, or insanity, is also prominent in Poes work. It often takes the form of
obsession. The Tell-Tale Heart opens with the narrator insisting he is perfectly
sane, but then he goes on to describe how he came to kill the old man, whom he
claims to love. Another short story, "The Black Cat," also explores a character's
descent into madness as he is haunted by guilt.

In "The Black Cat," a

man is unable to
control his
compulsive rage and
brutally kills his cat
and wife.
Both death and insanity are frequently paired with revenge. In some
stories, the characters take personal revenge against their enemies. In
The Cask of Amontillado, one of Poe's most famous works, Montresor
seals Fortunato behind a wall as revenge for some past insult.
Montresor leaves his fellow nobleman there to suffocate and die in the
damp cellar.
In other stories, revenge takes on a broader meaning. For instance,
The Masque of the Red Death is a story in which the rich are
punished for turning their backs on the poor. Poe creates a tale in
which a terrible plague has swept over the country killing the weak and
impoverished. The wealthy noblemen and women have locked
themselves up in their palaces to avoid the plague and wait out the
death and illness with luxurious parties and dinners. However, the Red
Death eventually takes his revenge on their arrogance and lack of
compassion.

Poe's young wife (and cousin)

died at an early age of
tuberculosis, a painful disease of
the lungs. It is thought that her
death inspired much of his
writing, particularly "The Masque
of the Red Death."

Poe's stories and poems seem to be as dark and mysterious as his life.
He was orphaned early in life after the death of his mother and was
harshly disciplined by his foster father. Many of his own loved ones were
stricken with terrible illnesses, gambling problems and debt, and he himself
suffered from alcoholism. He struggled financially as an aspiring author,
and vile gossip seemed followed him where ever he went, even to his
unexpected and mysterious death.
However, despite the dark cloud that enveloped much of his life and
works, one can also find themes of love, nature, and hope in his writing.
He was especially fond of animals, particularly cats, and these motifs also
Ravens and cats make
frequent appearances in his
works. They often represent
a sense of hope or nature.

made many appearances throughout his poems and stories.

Edgar Allan Poe has millions of fans

around the world. Many visit his burial
site each year on the anniversary of his
death.
Today, Poe's dark tales remain some of the most well-loved and well-known in the world. His
universal themes of death, madness, and revenge enthrall readers as they lose themselves in the sheer
excitement of this writing. The next time you find yourself deep in a work by Edgar Allan Poe, look for the
motifs intertwined in his stories and try not to feel a shiver run up your spine.

Question 1:
The author describes how Poe features the theme of death in almost every one of his works. Which of the
following passages from the text does not support this claim?
The Masque of the Red Death is a story in which the rich are punished for turning
their backs on the poor.
Poe's victims are often buried in a wall or in a floor, or sometimes stuffed up a chimney,
like in The Murders in the Rue Morgue."
In the poem The Raven, a mysterious raven visits a man that is spiraling into
madness after the death of his lover.
Many of Poe's characters meet their deaths in violent and disturbing ways.
none of the above
Question 2:

What is one reason that Death, Madness, and Revenge may have been common themes in
Poe's works?
Poe wrote most of his poems, like "Annabel Lee," in the months just before he
died.
Poe was very fond of different animals, especially cats, and what these motifs
represented.
Many of Poe's loved ones, including his wife and mother, suffered from
illnesses, and he was distraught over their deaths.
Many of Poe's literary rivals thought that his writing was initially too soft, so he
tried to appeal to humanity's darker side.
Question 3:
The author provides specific examples of Poe's works for each of the following themes except
Hope
Revenge
Love
Death
Insanity

Question 4:

What is a motif?
the dark style of writing that Poe uses in his works
the reason a character has for committing a murder
a universal idea in a novel or poem
a repeated element that helps develop the theme
Question 5:

Read this passage from the text:

In fact, death is so prominent that it often is referred to as its own character.
What does the word prominent mean?
popular or notable
human-like
active and alive
obscure or confusing
Question 6:

Why does the author include the page about Poe's life?
If the readers did not learn about Poe's history, then they would lose interest in
learning about his books.
Understanding certain influences in the author's life helps readers understand
certain aspects of his writing style.
Knowing about Poe's history might help a reader decide whether they want to
read more of his works or not.
She thought that it would be good information to know in case the reader
wanted to write a research report about Poe.

Question 7:

Which passage from the text best conveys the author's voice?
Edgar Allan Poes works contain many themes, but the three that weave in
and out of all of them are: Death, Madness, and Revenge.
The next time you find yourself deep in a work by Edgar Allan Poe, look for the
motifs intertwined in his stories and try not to feel a shiver run up your spine.
This repetitive appearance of Death is an example of a motif.
In The Cask of Amontillado, one of Poe's most famous works, Montresor
seals Fortunato behind a wall as revenge for some past insult.
Question 8:

What does this artist's depiction of Edgar Allan Poe suggest about Poe and his work?
Poe used grim themes like death in his work, which is represented by the dark red and
black colors.
There is a certain darkness and mystery that surrounds Poe.
Poe was fond of animals and used them in his writing.
Poe seems like he was a mournful person that probably suffered in life.
all of the above

Question 9:

How does the author support her claim that Death, Madness, and Revenge were common
themes in Poe's poems and stories?
She cites other literary criticisms that make the same claim.
She gives examples of these themes in Poe's various works.
She doesn't adequately support this claim with any examples.
She compares Poe's works to other authors that use similar themes.
Question 10:

In the summer of 2013, the Poe Museum invited various professors to their first ever Positive Poe
Conference. At the conference, speakers presented on what they called "the overlooked aspects
of this misunderstood author," and one professor commented that "Poe was a lovable and funny
guy."
How does the point of view of the conference speakers differ from the point of view of the author
of this article who said that "a dark cloud enveloped much of Poe's life and works"?
The conference speakers believe that there are many positive parts of Poe's
life and works that have gone unnoticed.
The conference speakers argue that Poe was just being sarcastic and
humorous in all his works.
The conference speakers would say that Poe's entire life was a long and
joyless period of suffering.
The conference speakers don't believe that Poe actually wrote any of the
works that we attribute to him.