Which of the following best describes the significance of the beating heart throughout the story the tell tale heart?

Answer 1

In Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart," the beating heart serves as a powerful symbol of guilt and conscience. As the narrator becomes increasingly obsessed with the old man's eye and ultimately commits murder, the heart represents the inescapable weight of his actions. Even after he believes he has successfully hidden the crime, the persistent sound of the beating heart manifests his overwhelming guilt and psychological torment. This recurring sound ultimately drives the narrator to confess, illustrating how guilt can be an insurmountable force that reveals the truth, even against one's will. The heart thus embodies the theme of conscience in the face of wrongdoing and the inevitable consequences of one's actions.