Insanity In 'The Tell-Tale Heart'

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According to Law.com, insanity means, “mental illness of such a severe nature that a person cannot distinguish fantasy from reality, cannot conduct her/his affairs due to psychosis, or is subject to uncontrollable impulsive behavior. Insanity is distinguished from low intelligence or mental deficiency due to age or injury.” Sanity is exactly the opposite and means, “reasonable understanding; sound mind; possessing mental faculties that are capable of distinguishing right from wrong so as to bear legal responsibility for one's actions” (The Free Dictionary). The narrator in the Tell-Tale Heart was guilty of murder and was not insane during the time of the murder. The narrator was fully sane when he killed the old man. The Tell-Tale Heart states, “You should have seen how wisely I proceeded --with what caution --with what foresight --with what dissimulation I went to work! I was never kinder to the old man than during the whole week before I killed him. And every night, about midnight, I turned the latch of his door and opened it --oh so gently!” This means that the narrator was in full …show more content…

As shown by the definition insanity can be caused by aging and it is clear the man was not very old and was still at a healthy age. This also shows that the man was not insane when killing the old man and is therefore guilty of murder. Another statement that the text mentions is, “"Villains!" I shrieked, "dissemble no more! I admit the deed! --tear up the planks! here, here! --It is the beating of his hideous heart!"” The man was able to tell that he was doing something wrong somewhere inside his soul in order to be able to confess. The beating of the heart resembles the narrator’s deep self though of guilt and needing to say that he did something wrong. Sanity means to know right from wrong as a result from his actions the man was fully

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