- The narrator introduces himself as unreliable and obsessed with the old man's "evil eye".
- The old man moves next door and constantly watches the narrator.
- The narrator plans to kill the old man, but he decides against it multiple times.
Rising Action:
- The narrator grows more and more fearful and paranoid of the old man.
- He imagines that the old man is hiding something and that he is being watched constantly.
- The narrator begins to drink heavily and becomes more erratic in his behavior.
- He finally decides to kill the old man and carefully carries out his plan.
Climax:
- The narrator hides the old man's body under the floorboards of his house, convinced he has committed the perfect crime.
- However, the police arrive shortly after and begin to investigate the disappearance.
- The narrator becomes increasingly agitated and paranoid, and he begins to hear the old man's heart beating under the floorboards.
Falling Action:
- The police find the old man's body and the narrator is arrested and charged with murder.
- The narrator's guilt eats away at him, and he confesses his crime to the police.
- He is found guilty and sentenced to death, and the story concludes with the narrator being executed.