Setting

Published in the 1840s, the short story “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe was probably intended to to take place around this time period as well. However, the fact that we do not get a specific place or time helps create a sense of mystery which is typical of thriller and horror stories.

The main events span over eight days. The narrator spies on the old man “for seven long nights – every night just at midnight” (p. 155, ll. 18-19). On the final day, the narrator kills the old man and hides the body between midnight and 4 o’clock in the morning (p. 157, l. 18). The time setting of the story also includes the future day when the narrator is telling the story (probably in prison), but this date is not specified.

The events take place inside a house, with the main setting being the old man’s...