Mad, by definition, means in a state of mind that prohibits habitual perception, behavior, or social interactions (Oxford). The narrator of “Tell Tale Heart” killed an old man he loved because of his eye. When the police arrived, the narrator could "hear" the old man's heartbeat, which prompted him to confess to killing the old man. The narrator is not guilty of insanity and should be committed to a mental hospital because he had no real motive, showed signs of insanity, and heard things that never really existed. First of all, the narrator had no valid reason to kill the old man. “I think it was an eye opener! yes, this was it! He had the eye of a vulture: a pale blue eye, with a film over it. Every time it fell on me, my blood ran cold; and so little by little – very gradually – I determined to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever” (Poe). The narrator wanted to kill the old man all because of his eye, without any other reasoning. The old man had done nothing to upset the narrator, but his eye bothered him so much that he had to kill the man. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayThe poor old man probably had cataracts, arcus senilis corneae, pterygium, or some other type of eye disease. The old man couldn't stop what was happening to his eyes, but the narrator found such a small thing so annoying that he felt the only way to solve his problem was to kill the man. Secondly, the narrator showed the habits of a crazy person, such as observing sleep. “So he must have been a very profound old man to suspect that every night, just at midnight, I watched him while he slept” (Poe). The narrator watched the old man every night for a week as he slept. He looked for the night when the “vulture's eye” was open while the old man slept so that he could attack him. But alas, the night never came; for on the eighth night the old man awoke with a start and the deed had to be done. However, each evening before, the narrator waited in the doorway and peered in very slowly. He did this for at least an hour every night. After the narrator killed the old man, he could hear the dead man's heartbeat. The sound in his head started out as a ringing, low and vague. But as time passed, the ringing became louder and more distinct. The sound of the dead man's living heartbeat distressed the narrator. It drove him crazy, forcing him to confess. “'Bad guys!' I shouted, “Dissimulate no more!” I admit the act! – tear up the boards! – here, here! – it's the beating of his foul heart!'” (Poe). The old man was dead, yet the narrator continued to hear his heart beating. There was no way he could hear a heartbeat, because the man was dead. This leads to the conclusion that the narrator's mind fabricated the sounds and failed to make them go away, which is a sign of psychosis. On the other hand, people might say that the narrator is guilty of the crimes he committed because he tried to hide the evidence. Although the narrator has tried to cover his tracks, he is still insane/psychotic and cannot be tried as if he were not. Furthermore, some crazy people, depending on the type of madness they suffer, are still able to think for themselves. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a custom essay Take schizophrenia for example; they can still use their mind, but their mind creates a reality in which things happen that don't happen in the real world. The.