Psychopath In Tell-Tale Heart By Edgar Allan Poe
Psychopath: a person suffering from chronic mental disorder with abnormal or violent social behavior. In the short story “Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe is about a murderer who kills a man. It is told from the point of view of the murderer. The story takes place in the old man’s house, but mostly in his room. Throughout the story, the murderer brags about how precise he is in killing the man. The only thing that disturbs the murderer is that the old man has a “vulture eye. Based on the evidence presented in the 8th Amendment of the Death Penalty the main character should be released to a psychiatric facility based on the mitigating and aggravating evidence.
To begin, the murderer’s mitigating evidence proves that he should be sentenced
to death. The murderer stated, “The disease had sharpened my senses -- not destroyed -- not dulled them” (p. 381, Poe). This shows that the murderer has a disease in his brain which affects his thinking and actions. He would be sentenced to a psychiatric facility, because in 2005 the executions of the mentally disabled was banned. The murderer also explained, “He had the eye of a vulture -- a pale blue eye, with film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees -- very gradually -- I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever.” (p. 382, Poe). This proves that the man is crazy because of the old man’s pale blue eye. The eye is the only reason he killed the old man. Earlier in the story, the murderer claimed to love the old man, the “vulture eye” changed his mind. This is significant because this will show that the murderer should not be sentenced to death.
The murderer’s aggravating evidence proves that he should be sentenced to twenty years in prison with psychiatric care. The murderer described, “In an instant I dragged him to the floor and pulled the heavy bed over him.” (p. 384, Poe). This shows that the murderer meant to kill the old man. This is why he should be sentenced to twenty years in prison. He planned the murder for eight days in the old man’s room. The murderer also explained, “First of all I dismembered the corpse. I cut off the head and the arms and the legs. I then took up three planks from the flooring of the chamber, and deposited all between the scantlings.” (p. 385, Poe). This proves that the murderer is crazy because he cut the old man’s body into pieces and hid them in his own house. He then bragged about how cleverly he placed the planks so that no one could see the body. He didn’t even leave a spec of blood, he was proud of himself. This is significant because he meant to murder the old man because of his eye.
The murderer’s mitigating evidence proves that he should have psychiatric care. His aggravating evidence is why he should. be sentenced for twenty years in prison. The murderer should sentence to twenty years in prison with psychiatric care because he committed murder and he is crazy. His disease made him go mad about the old man’s eye. The eighth amendment states that should be no cruel or unusual punishment, it would be cruel to kill the murderer because he has a disease in his brain, but he planned the murder which might change my mind. I personally think the death penalty is cruel punishment.
To begin, the murderer’s mitigating evidence proves that he should be sentenced
to death. The murderer stated, “The disease had sharpened my senses -- not destroyed -- not dulled them” (p. 381, Poe). This shows that the murderer has a disease in his brain which affects his thinking and actions. He would be sentenced to a psychiatric facility, because in 2005 the executions of the mentally disabled was banned. The murderer also explained, “He had the eye of a vulture -- a pale blue eye, with film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees -- very gradually -- I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever.” (p. 382, Poe). This proves that the man is crazy because of the old man’s pale blue eye. The eye is the only reason he killed the old man. Earlier in the story, the murderer claimed to love the old man, the “vulture eye” changed his mind. This is significant because this will show that the murderer should not be sentenced to death.
The murderer’s aggravating evidence proves that he should be sentenced to twenty years in prison with psychiatric care. The murderer described, “In an instant I dragged him to the floor and pulled the heavy bed over him.” (p. 384, Poe). This shows that the murderer meant to kill the old man. This is why he should be sentenced to twenty years in prison. He planned the murder for eight days in the old man’s room. The murderer also explained, “First of all I dismembered the corpse. I cut off the head and the arms and the legs. I then took up three planks from the flooring of the chamber, and deposited all between the scantlings.” (p. 385, Poe). This proves that the murderer is crazy because he cut the old man’s body into pieces and hid them in his own house. He then bragged about how cleverly he placed the planks so that no one could see the body. He didn’t even leave a spec of blood, he was proud of himself. This is significant because he meant to murder the old man because of his eye.
The murderer’s mitigating evidence proves that he should have psychiatric care. His aggravating evidence is why he should. be sentenced for twenty years in prison. The murderer should sentence to twenty years in prison with psychiatric care because he committed murder and he is crazy. His disease made him go mad about the old man’s eye. The eighth amendment states that should be no cruel or unusual punishment, it would be cruel to kill the murderer because he has a disease in his brain, but he planned the murder which might change my mind. I personally think the death penalty is cruel punishment.