The Tell-Tale Heart is a short story published in 1843, written by Edgar Allan Poe. The Tell-Tale Heart is about a man who murders his old friend. This unnamed person in the story killed his old friend because he feared the eye his friend had that reminded him of an eye of a vulture. The Tell-Tale Heart is an old, gothic tale, and is shown to be a frightening story because of its particular elements. The elements indicating the gothic features in the story are the setting, time, and characters. These three elements are the ultimate devices that represent the significance of the gothic, dark features in the story.
             The setting of the story is described as a dark and scary place. The story takes place at the home of the old man. Although it takes place in the house of the victim, the narrator is too vague with the setting. The narrator does not inform the reader whether the "house" is an apartment or just a plain residence. The setting was not specified; however, one can get the idea it took place at the house of the old man. For example, the author states, "And every night, about midnight, I turned the latch of his door and opened it-oh, so gently!" (Poe 382-383). That is where the story indicates the setting as the home of the victim. A mysterious setting, such as the one in The Tell-Tale Heart, gives a sense of frightfulness and leaves the reader scared at the same time.
             The setting is gothic in The Tell-Tale Heart. Throughout the story, when the main character would enter the room of the old man, it would always be dark inside. In fact, "His room was as black as pitch with the thick darkness (for the shutters were close fastened through fear of robbers), and so I knew that he could not see the opening of the door, and I kept pushing it on steadily, steadily." (Poe 383). That is a detailed and concise explanation of how dark and obscure it was inside the house of the old man. The man ...