The Tell-Tale Heart Characters Analysis

The Narrator - 

The Narrator is never fully characterized in the short story as the reader is never told the Narrator’s name, age, or even gender. Although the Narrator does not wish to be compared to ‘madmen’, it can be assumed that it is a man. His relationship with the old man also remains hidden throughout the story, the Narrator could be related to the old man or he could just be an employee. We can deduce that the Narrator is dealing with some mental imbalance, as he repeatedly attempts to establish his sanity, and murders an old man without a significant reason.

The Old Man - 

The old man, like the Narrator, is not completely characterized. The reader is given very few details about the character and provided with the seemingly core traits of his character. The old man is depicted as a rich and polite man of status but is completely passive throughout the story. In the course of the story, the old man does little else besides sit up in bed, ask a question, moan with dread, and shriek before death.

The Policemen - 

The author informs the reader that there are three policemen at the door, but they are never differentiated from one another or characterized in any manner. They too can be considered passive, since the Narrator takes it upon himself to show them through the house. At first, he seems to believe that his crime can never be detected, but this resolve crumbles quickly. The Narrator suddenly provides the policemen with a complete confession without ever being prompted.