FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!

"The Tell-Tale Heart" Trivia Quiz

How much do YOU know about Poe's most famous short story?? Take this quiz and test your memories of grammar school English class.

A multiple-choice quiz by draculanut31. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
draculanut31

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
94,158

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
15

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
10 / 15

Plays
7121

Awards
Top 20% Quiz

Last 3 plays: Guest 100 (15/15), Guest 5 (11/15), Guest 67 (12/15).

This quiz has 2 formats: you can play it as a or as shown below.
Scroll down to the bottom for the answer key.

1. What had the madness done for the narrator's senses? Hint

nothing of note

dulled them

sharpened them

destroyed them

NEXT>

2. What was the reason that the narrator killed the old man? Hint

his gold

his house

he insulted the narrator

his eye

NEXT>

3. During the week before the narrator killed the old man, how did he act towards him? Hint

cruel

it never says

indifferent

kind

NEXT>

4. How long did it take the narrator to place his head into the door so that he could see the old man? Hint

an hour and a half

a half hour

an hour

45 minutes

NEXT>

5. For how many nights did the narrator look in upon the old man? Hint

NEXT>

6. Why couldn't the narrator kill the old man on the first night? Hint

the eye was closed

he didn't have the courage on the first night

there was someone else in the house

the old man wasn't asleep by midnight on the first night

NEXT>

7. What did the narrator do by accident-as a result waking the old man? Hint

he sneezed

he coughed

he slipped and fell

his thumb slipped on the lantern

NEXT>

8. What did the old man cry out when awakened? Hint

"What was that?"

"Who's there?"

"Is anyone there?"

"Who is it?"

NEXT>

9. What was the low, dull, quick sound that the narrator heard? Hint

the clock

knocking on the door

the old man's heartbeat

his watch

NEXT>

10. The beating grew louder--what was the new anxiety that seized the narrator at this point? Hint

there was no anxiety at this time

someone coming in the house to investigate the noise

the sound being heard by neighbors

the noise waking up the old man

NEXT>

11. How many times did the old man shriek? Hint

twice

three times

none

once

NEXT>

12. After the old man was dead, what was the first thing the narrator did to conceal the body? Hint

dismembered it

hid it in the closet

buried it beneath the floor

threw it out

NEXT>

13. What was the second thing he did to conceal the body? Hint

threw it out

buried it beneath the floor

buried it outside

burned it

NEXT>

14. Why were the police sent to the house? Hint

someone had seen the narrator

a gunshot was heard

an argument was heard

a shriek was heard

NEXT>

15. And finally, what was it (according to the narrator) that made him confess to the crime? Hint

the policeman's heartbeat

the police suspected him

his ears began to ring

the old man's heartbeat

(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

Select a User ID:

Choose a Password:

Your Email:

Most Recent Scores

Sep 27 2023 : Guest 100: 15/15
Sep 27 2023 : Guest 5: 11/15
Sep 27 2023 : Guest 67: 12/15
Sep 26 2023 : Guest 181: 14/15
Sep 26 2023 : Guest 123: 13/15
Sep 25 2023 : Guest 198: 14/15
Sep 25 2023 : Guest 86: 7/15
Sep 24 2023 : Guest 99: 14/15
Sep 24 2023 : Guest 158: 12/15

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What had the madness done for the narrator's senses?

Answer: sharpened them

"The madness had sharpened my senses, not destroyed, not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute..."

2. What was the reason that the narrator killed the old man?

Answer: his eye

"I think it was his eye--yes it was this! One of his eyes resembled that of a vulture- a pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it ran upon me my blood ran cold...."

3. During the week before the narrator killed the old man, how did he act towards him?

Answer: kind

"I was never kinder to the old man than during the whole week before I killed him."

4. How long did it take the narrator to place his head into the door so that he could see the old man?

Answer: an hour

"It took me an hour to place my whole head within the opening so far that I could see him as he lay upon his bed."

5. For how many nights did the narrator look in upon the old man?

Answer: 8

"...and I did this for seven long nights--every night just at midnight-every night just at twelve...Upon the eighth night I was more than usually cautious in opening the door."

6. Why couldn't the narrator kill the old man on the first night?

Answer: the eye was closed

"...but I found the eye always closed; and so it was impossible to do the work; for it was not the old man who vexed me, but his Evil Eye."

7. What did the narrator do by accident-as a result waking the old man?

Answer: his thumb slipped on the lantern

The narrator quietly laughed at the thought that the old man didn't have any idea about what he was up to, but this did not wake the old man up. It was when the narrator's thumb slipped on the tin fastening of the lantern that he woke the old man up.

8. What did the old man cry out when awakened?

Answer: "Who's there?"

"I kept quite still and said nothing. For a whole hour I did not move a muscle, and in the meantime I did not hear him lie down."

9. What was the low, dull, quick sound that the narrator heard?

Answer: the old man's heartbeat

"I knew THAT sound well too. It was the beating of the old man's heart. It increased my fury, as the beating of a drum stimulates the soldier into courage."

10. The beating grew louder--what was the new anxiety that seized the narrator at this point?

Answer: the sound being heard by neighbors

"...the old man's hour had come! With a loud yell, I threw open the lantern and leaped into the room."

11. How many times did the old man shriek?

Answer: once

"He shrieked once- once only."

12. After the old man was dead, what was the first thing the narrator did to conceal the body?

Answer: dismembered it

"I cut off the head and the arms and the legs." Ick! This was the first thing he did.

13. What was the second thing he did to conceal the body?

Answer: buried it beneath the floor

THEN he buried the body under the floor.

14. Why were the police sent to the house?

Answer: a shriek was heard

A neighbor had heard the old man shriek and suspected foul play. The police were called to investigate it.

15. And finally, what was it (according to the narrator) that made him confess to the crime?

Answer: the old man's heartbeat

In my English class our teacher theorized that the guilt of the narrator was ultimately what made the narrator confess. Good theory. The narrator hears a sound and swears that the sound was NOT his own. He insists that the heartbeat belonged to the old man, and could not figure out why the police officers couldn't hear it as well. We know that the hearbeat was his own, but we are taking this from the standpoint of the narrator, not our own rational minds.

It is a tricky question. This is one of the first stories of Poe that I read, in the 8th grade, and this is the one that got me hooked on Poe forever. I hope you enjoyed the quiz.

Source: Author draculanut31

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bullymom before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.