For a full understanding of Edgar Allan Poe's macabre tale, "The Pit and the Pendulum," a student needs some historical information about the Spanish Inquisition, some biographical details about Poe's life and some assistance with vocabulary. Once the story has been read with that kind of assistance and has been discussed in the classroom, students can be challenged to several different writing assignments. Giving students a choice of the following assignments will allow them to bring a creative voice to their work, as well as demonstrating their understanding of the story.
Interview Assignment
Give students the opportunity to interview the unfortunate narrator of "The Pit and the Pendulum." Making an imaginary time travel leap, students become talk show hosts interviewing the narrator just hours after he has been rescued from his horrendous experience. Require students to come up with at least twenty questions and answers that detail the events of the story beginning with the trial, the narrator's emotional state, and the significance of the story's Spanish Inquisition setting. Two students might work together on this project; however, both will be responsible for the final copy of the interview, which will be completed as a written assignment and may be presented orally to the class.
Letter from Poe
For students who enjoy investigating the symbolism in literature, provide them with an opportunity to take on the persona of Edgar Allan Poe. In a letter to a friend, whom students will invent, Poe will explain the symbols he used in "The Pit and the Pendulum," why he chose these symbols, and how those symbols came to him as a result of experiences in his own life.
Movie Pitch
Trying to imagine Edgar Allan Poe as a movie mogul is a stretch; however, perhaps if movies were around during Poe's lifetime, he might have hired an agent to pitch his story to producers. In this assignment, students have an opportunity to act as that agent as they show off their expertise about "The Pit and the Pendulum." The package for the pitch will include the following: a summary of the story plot, a description of what the setting would look like, an explanation of why a certain musical group or composer would be chosen to write or perform the sound track, and a paragraph explaining what actor would be chosen for the lead role and why.
Tags: Edgar Allan, Spanish Inquisition, would chosen