The Bed and the Bedroom The Action of Killing Murder
dragging him into anxiety. Actually, the heartbeat that the narrator listens to is his heartbeat which suggests that the narrator’s conscience trying to influences
the narrator with sense of guilt. “It was the beating of the old mans heart. It increased my fury, as the
beating of a drum stimulates the soldier into courage.”Poe,1992:94. Here the quotation may suggest
the narrator’s will to commit the murder. However, it is actually the conscience of the narrator and it is deflected by the narrator anxiety.
Therefore, the murder is inevitable. “Meantime the hellish tattoo of the heart increased. It grew quicker and
quicker, and l ouder and louder every instant… do you mark me well I have told
you that I am nervous: so I am… so strange a noise as this excited me to uncontrollable terror.” Poe,1992:92, 98. The quotations above suggest that the
heartbeat truly disturb the narrator. Again, this is the sign of the narrator’s cons
cience. The narrator’s conscience tries to prevent the murder. However, since the narrator’s anxiety is much stronger, the will to murder grows stronger.
After the murder, the narrator conceals the body under the floor. “In an instant I
dragged him to the floor, and pulled the heavy bed over him. I then smiled gaily, to find the deed so far done. But, for many minutes, the heart beat on with
a muffled sound.” Poe,1992:94. After the concealment of the body, the narrator still hears the sound of
heartbeat. The narrator thinks it is the sound of the old man’s heartbeat.
However, the sound of the heartbeat suggests the representation of the narrator’s guilt.
As the stronger the sound goes, the guilt also grows stronger, and forces the narrator to confess his murder. Villains I shrieked, dissemble no more I
admit the deed --tear up the planks here, here --It is the beating of his hideous heartPoe,1992:96