THE SIGN OF FOUR

Characters Context

Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective Arthur Conan Doyle 1859-1930, studied medicine, wrote very popular Holmes short stories published in The Strand

Victorian values 1837-1901: outwardly displayed values restraint, religious morality, strict social code conduct

Dr John Watson Holmes’s biographer and The British Empire and Imperialism British Empire covered almost a quarter of the world. Countries had been colonized by the British, often using
friend, ex-army doctor military force. Big influence on society’s mood at the time – fear of foreigners

The Victorian detective Story Clever detectives, red herrings, seemingly impossible crimes, bungling police, twist in plot
Mary Morstan Daughter of Captain Morstan –
Lobe interest of Watson Victorian London Became biggest city in the world and global capital for politics, finance and trade under Victoria

The Role of Women Restricted rights, few job opportunities

Captain Morstan Father of Mary Morstan Themes

Duality Duality of Sherlock’s personality(drug use, disguise) Use of twins – Bartholomew and Thaddeus – opposing personalities

Major Sholto Friend of Captain Morstan Victorian fear Fear of losing Empire and foreigners. Sherlock reassuring presence against dark underworld

Crime and Punishment Sherlock represents a more scientific approach to crime, emphasis on detection rather than victim
Batholemow Twin sons of Major Sholto
Sholto Love and Friendship Depth od Holmes and Watson’s friendship but also differences. - Small and Tonga – Captain Morstan and Major Sholto
Thadddeus
Sholto Englishness and Foreignness Contrast with English settings and the foreign experiences of the characters – tension between the two

Jonathan Small Ex soldier and escaped convict Wealth and treasure Treasure important plot device but does it bring wealth?

Emotion vs rationality Conflict between rational and emotional shown through Holmes and Watson’s characters. Use of philosophy..

Mahomet Singh, The 3 other members of the Justice against evil Both Holmes and Small are driven by their quest for justice
Abdullah Khan, Four
Dost Akbar
Techniques

Tonga A loyal friend to Small Imagery Painting a picture with words Irony Suggesting the opposite to what is meant

Simile Comparison using ‘like’ or ‘as’ Sarcasm A type of irony used for insult or humour
The Baker Street Street urchins
Irregulars Metaphor Comparison by saying something is something Dialect Pronunciations or word choices used in a certain
else geographical location.
Mr and Mrs Owners of the Aurora
Smith Pathetic fallacy The weather reflects the emotions or setting Dialogue Speeches or conversations

Mrs Hudson Landlady Alliteration Words beginning with the same letter in the Anthropomorphism Giving human characteristics or behaviour to an
same sentence animal or object
Plot Key quotes

1. The Science Introduced to Holmes and Watson. Holmes shows how he can deduce the “But I abhor the dull routine of existence. I crave for mental exaltation” – Holmes
of Deduction owner of a watch. Miss Morstan arrives. “Detection is, or ought to be, an exact science, and should be treated in the same cold and unemotional manner”- Holmes
“I had forgotten how personal and painful a thing it might be to you” - Holmes

2. The Miss Morstan explains her story – her father mysteriously disappeared “You really are an automaton – a calculating machine,” I cried. “There is something positively inhuman in you at times.” – Watson
Statement of the and she has been receiving a pearl on the same date every tear for 6 “A client to me is a mere unit, a factor in a problem” – Holmes
years. Holmes and Watson agree to go with her to the mysterious meeting
Case at the theatre

3. In Quest of a Miss Morstan shows Holmes a paper she has found in her father’s “He was bright, eager and in excellent spirits, a mood which in his case alternated with fits of the blackest depression” – Watson
Solution belongings. They are met at the theatre by a coachman who drives them There was to my mind, something eerie and ghostlike in the endless process of faces which flitted across these narrow bars of light – sad faces and
to a house where an Asian servant opens the door. glad, haggard and merry.” – Watson
“We were driving to an unknown place, on an unknown errand” - Watson

4. The Story of They meet Thaddeus Sholto who explains how his father had died and “In that sorry house it looked as out of place as a diamond of the first water in a setting of brass.” – Watson
the Bald- explains why he arranged for the pearls to be delivered to Miss Morstan. “The cursed greed which has been my besetting sin through life has withheld from her the treasure, half at least of which should have been hers. And
They go to see his twin brother Bartholomew. There are many clues in this yet I made no use of it myself, so blind and foolish a thing is avarice” – Major Sholto
Headed Man chapter. “It was a bearded, hairy face, with wild cruel eyes and an expression of concentrated malevolence” – Thaddeus Sholto

5. The Tragedy When they get to the house, Holmes and Watson find Bartholomew dead “The vast size of the building, with its gloom and its deathly silence, struck a chill to the heart.” -Watson
of Pondicherry in a locked room. They find a thorn on the dead man. The treasure is “A wondrous subtle thing is love, for here were we two, who had never seen each other before that day, between whom no word or even look of
missing. affection has ever passed, and yet in our hour of trouble our hands instinctively sought for each other.” – Watson
Lodge
“The features were set, however, in a horrible smile, a fixed and unnatural grin, which in that still and moonlit room was more jarring to the nerves than
any scowl or contortion.” - Watson

6. Sherlock Sherlock examines the room and deduces that 2 people were involved. “So swift, silent, and furtive were his movements, like those of a trained bloodhound picking out a sort of scent” – Watson on Holmes
Holmes Gives a Athelney Jones arrives to take on the case. Holmes asks Watson to collect “You see that I am weaving my web round Thaddeus. The net begins to close upon him” – Athelney Jones
Toby the dog. “Then I shall study the great Jones’s methods and listen to his not too delicate sarcasms” – Sherlock Holmes
Demonstration

7. The Episode Watson takes Toby to Pondicherry Lodge and they use him to try and “The whole place…had a blighted, ill-omened look which harmonized with the black tragedy which hung over it” – Watson
of the Barrel track the criminals. Holmes explains his theories but Toby leads them to a “How small we feel with our petty ambitions and strivings in the presence of the great elemental forces of nature.” – Sherlock
barrel of creosote. “Toby ceased to advance but began to run backward and forward…the very picture of canine indecision” - Watson

8. The Baker They pick up the trail and are led to a riverside landing stage. Holmes “If Holmes could work to find the criminals, I had a tenfold stronger reason to urge me on to find the treasure” – Watson
Street Irregulars talks to Mrs Smith who is tricked into telling them that the men they are “As he spoke, there came a swift pattering of naked feet upon the stairs, a clatter of high voices, and in rushed a dozen dirty and ragged little street
tracking are on a boat called the Aurora with her husband. They return to Arabs” – Watson
Baker Street where Holmes employs the Baker Street Irregulars to find the “Diminutive footmarks, toes never fettered by boots, naked feet, stone-headed wooden mace, great agility, small poisoned darts. What do you make
boat. of all this?” – Holmes

9. A Break in Watson returns Toby nut on his return is told by Mrs. Hudson that she is “I noticed that his face was dark and troubled” – Watson on Holmes
the Chain concerned for Sherlock’s health. Holmes leaves Watson to find the boat. “Women are never to be entirely trusted – not the best of them” – Holmes
Jones arrives in response to a telegram from Holmes. An ancient sailor ““It is a romance!” cried Mrs Forrester. “An injured lady, half a million in treasure, a black cannibal, and a wooden-legged ruffian. They take the place
arrives, but when he removes his disguise it is Holmes. Holmes explains he of the conventional dragon or wicked earl” – Mrs Forrester
knows where the boat is and they go to dinner. “This infernal problem is consuming me” – Holmes
“Was it not possible that his nimble and speculative mind had built up this wild theory upon faulty premises” - Watson

10. The End of After dinner they set off in a police launch to find the criminals. After a “He appeared to be in a state of nervous exaltation. I have never known him so brilliant” – Watson on Holmes
the Islander long chase, they arrest Small and Tonga is killed. “Individuals vary, but percentages remain constant” – Holmes
“…but never did sport give me such a wild thrill as this mad, flying man-hunt down the Thames” – Watson
“Never have I seen features so deeply marked with all bestiality and cruelty” – Watson on the small man
“Somewhere in the dark ooze at the bottom of the Thames lies the bones of that strange visitor to our shores” - Watson

11. The Great Watson sees Mary Morstan with the treasure chest which is empty. They “It seemed to me that there was more sorrow than anger in his rigid and contained countenance” – Watson on Small
Agra Treasure admit their love for each other. “To him it brought murder, to Major Sholto it brought fear and guilt, to me it has meant slavery for life.” – Small
“Whoever had lost a treasure, I knew that night I had gained one” - Watson

12. The Strange Small explains his story to Holmes. “There we were all four tied by the leg and with precious little chance of ever getting out again, while we each held a secret which might have put each
Story of Watson returns and tells Holmes he is to marry Mary Morstan. Holmes of us in a palace if we could only have made use of it.” – Jonathan Small
again reaches for the cocaine bottle. “But love is an emotional thing, and whatever is emotional is opposed to that true cold reason which I place above all things.” – Holmes
Jonathan Small