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Insanity In The Tell-Tale Heart By Edgar Allan Poe

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Insanity Your Honor and Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury the caretaker in Edgar Allan Poe’s”The Tell-Tale Heart” is Insane; using the McNaughton rule proves that he should be placed in a state hospital for the criminally insane, He did not know what he was doing, He did not know that what he was doing was wrong. The caretaker is insane because the sounds he hears that causes him to go insane. This is seen when the defendant says,”I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell.“(89, 1, 3& 4). This quote shows that he could hear things in heaven hell and earth which many people can not hear on a daily basis. The prosecution will try to say that he planned the killing but they are wrong because he jumped in the room and without thinking put his mattress over his face and killed him. This argument is wrong because he states”I threw open the lantern and leaped into the room. … I dragged him to the floor, and pulled the heavy bed over him. I then smiled gaily, to find the deed so far done“(92, 2, 16 - 93, 1, 18). This quote shows that he is insane because he smiled during this fast paced action. The caretaker hears things beyond the average person would, …show more content…

This is proven when the defendant says”True!-nervous- very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am! But why will you say that i am mad?”(89, 1, 1). This quote shows that he is aware that people think that he is mad and tries to convince people that he is not crazy. The prosecution will try to say that he is not mad but they are wrong because he says he was insane at the whole situation. Evidence to support this,”..., the terrors that distracted me. I say I know it well.”(91, 3, 4 & 5) Showing that he thinks other terrors distracted him during this whole event, and that he had experience with them. Attempting to persuade the audience that he is not insane also proves that he is

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