Edgar Allan Poes short story, The Tell-Tale Heart, can be interpreted as a study
of, or posing questions into, the violently criminally insane mind and the horrors such a mind is
capable of executing. Write a 1,000-word essay arguing that the tale presents readers with
contemplating considerations of the characters morality, culpability, and accountability to
society and himself for his murderous actions. How does Poe set up the discussion of personal
and societal accountability and the pursuit of justice for victims and the accused? What are the
issues and considerations Poe is bringing up concerning homicidal crimes, justice, and
punishment? Research the history of the Insanity Defense in America in order to understand the
legal debates that were occurring in Poes time. You must use direct quotes from 1) the primary
text, The Tell-Tale Heart and 2) add quotes from two other academically credible secondary
sources to support your analysis of the text. You must properly cite three (counting the primary
text as one) sources in MLA Style and do a MLA 8
th edition Works Cited page.
