In the poem, the unnamed narrator is obsessed with the "vulture eye" of an old man he lives with. He plans and carries out the murder of the old man, hiding the body under the floorboards of his chamber.
The man is primarily engaged in the following actions in the chamber:
* Observing the old man: The narrator spends days watching the old man, fixated on his eye.
* Planning the murder: He meticulously devises a plan to kill the old man without being detected.
* Committing the murder: He suffocates the old man in his sleep.
* Hiding the body: He dismembers the body and hides it under the floorboards.
* Experiencing guilt and paranoia: He becomes increasingly agitated and believes he hears the old man's heartbeat, ultimately leading to his confession.
The poem's focus is on the narrator's descent into madness, fueled by his obsession and the guilt he feels after the murder.