A Tell Tale Heart

1. A TellTale Heart Edgar Allen Poe

2. Historical Background The evil eye is a malevolent (malicious) look that many cultures believe able to cause injury or misfortune for the person at whom it is directed for reasons of envy or dislike. Many readers in Poe’s time (1843) believed in superstition and the power of “the evil eye.” The Evil Eye

3. Historical Background In criminal trials, the insanity defense is where the defendant claims they are not responsible for their actions due to mental health problems. The insanity defense was very controversial at the time of publication. The insanity defense traces its roots back to the 1843 assassination attempt on British Prime Minister Robert Peel. In this case, a psychotic individual named Daniel M'Naghten intentionally and with premeditation killed an assistant to a prime minister of England because he believed he was being persecuted. The defendant plead insanity at the trial. Insanity Defense

4. Historical Background Under the M'Naghten test of insanity, also called the "right-wrong test," a person was not criminally responsible if at the time of the crime, he did not know the nature of the act or that it was wrong. The jury was required to answer two questions: did the defendant know what he was doing when he committed the crime? did the defendant understand that his actions were wrong? This test allowed a prosecutor to prove sanity easily by simply showing a defendant understood the moral consequences of an action; mental illness did not matter.  M’Naghten Rule became a federal law in 1851 M’Naghten Rule

5. Characterization • Characterization is the process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character. • Direct characterization – the audience is told the personality of the character • Indirect characterization – the audience is shown things that reveal the personality of the character.

6. Use O.D.D. C.A.T.S.