How long is the Masque of the Red Death?
90 minutes
Why should I read The Masque of the Red Death?
The story follows many traditions of Gothic fiction and is often analyzed as an allegory about the inevitability of death, though some critics advise against an allegorical reading. Many different interpretations have been presented, as well as attempts to identify the true nature of the titular disease.
How many pages is The Fall of the House of Usher?
68 pages
Why is The Fall of the House of Usher a good story?
The story works well as a Gothic tale because of the mood and the suspense. The story works as a short story because it is so tightly constructed, and everything contributes to the overall effect.
How does the narrator of The Fall of the House of Usher initially try to convince readers that he is not mad and why does he stop?
How does the narrator of “The Fall of the House of Usher” initially try to convince readers that he is not mad, and why does he stop? In particular, the narrator initially believes that Roderick is listening to “imaginary sounds,” but ultimately he comes to believe in the reality of these sounds.
Why does the narrator finally confess to his crime?
—it is the beating of his hideous heart!” The narrator confesses because he is insane, and because he is convinced that inexplicable events have conspired against him and forced his revelation of murder.
Why does the narrator seize the cat one evening?
One night, after coming home completely intoxicated, he believes the cat to be avoiding him. When he tries to seize it, the panicked cat bites the narrator, and in a fit of drunken rage he seizes the animal, pulls a pen-knife from his pocket, and deliberately gouges out the cat’s eye.
What does Poe compare to a heartbeat?
To what does the narrator compare the sound of the beating heart to? He didn’t hear a beating heart. A watch enveloped in cotton. A clock chiming in a soundproof room.
What is the irony in the Tell-Tale Heart?
| Verbal irony | We say just the opposite of what we mean. |
|---|---|
| Situational irony | What happens is different from what we expect. |
| Dramatic irony | We know something a character doesn’t know. |
Why does the narrator let the police officers freely search the house?
In “The Tell-Tale Heart,” the narrator allows the police officers to freely search his house because he is arrogant. He believes that he has committed a perfect crime and that his actions can never be discovered.
What noise does the narrator claim causes him to confess his murder?
Near the end of the story, the narrator begins hearing the sound of the dead man’s heart beating. This causes the narrator to go crazy enough to confess to the murder to the cops.
How does the narrator describe his feelings after killing the old man?
So, after killing the old man, the narrator feels momentarily relieved, then anxious, momentarily relieved again, then anxious again and finally leading to complete terror resulting in his confession.