SHERLOCK HOLMES:THE FINAL ADVENTUREA play by Steven Dietz

Based on the original 1899 play by William Gillette and Arthur Conan Doyle

Directed by Edward SternMAJOR SPONSOR: CENTENE CORPORATION

CONTENTS2 The 4113 A/S/L, HTH4 FYI5 IRL16 IRL28 B4U

10 F2F12 SWDYT?

STUDY GUIDES ARESUPPORTED BY A GENEROUS GRANTFROM CITIGROUP

2006—2007 SEASON

MISSOURI ARTS COUNCIL�

10. TBA Ushers will seat your school or class as a group,so even if you are dying to mingle with the group from theall girls school that just walked in the door, stick with yourfriends until you have been shown your section in thetheatre.

9. SITD The house lights will dim immediately before theperformance begins and then go dark. Fight off that oh-so-immature urge to whisper, giggle like a grade schooler, oryell at this time and during any other blackouts in the show.

8. SED Before the performance begins, turn off all cellphones, pagers, beepers and watch alarms. If you need totext, talk, or dial back during intermission, please make sureto click off before the show resumes.

7. TMI Not to sound like your mom, but “if you need togo now, you needed to go then.” Leaving the theatre duringthe performance is disruptive, so take care of any personalneeds before the show starts.

6. RTM When you arrive at the theatre, read theproduction program. It’s like a deluxe version of liner notesand a free souvenir, all in one.

5. P-ZA? NW! Though your ability to eat ten slices at onesitting may impress your friends, no one wants to listen toyou chew, slurp, or smack, so please leave all food, drink,and gum outside the theatre.

4. TLK-2-U-L-8-R We know that you will be dying todiscuss what you see onstage with your friends, but pleasewait until intermission. Any talking—even whispering—is very distracting for both the actors onstage and theaudience seated around you.

3. LOL Without you, we really wouldn’t have a show. It’syour job to laugh when a scene is funny or maybe even sheda tear or two in a tender moment. However, since you arenot the audience at The Jerry Springer Show please refrainfrom inappropriate responses such as talking, whistling,making catcalls or singing along with the performers.

2. SOP While it’s great that you want a celeb picture ofyour day at The Rep, the theatre is off-limits to thepaparazzi. Flash photography interrupts the performance andalong with videorecording is prohibited by Actors Equityrules. You can sneak a peek at production photos on ourwebsite, www.repstl.org.

1. LLTA Let the actors know that you respect their workby remaining for the curtain call at the end of theperformance. Show your appreciation through applause.

MIHYAP: TOP TEN WAYS TOSTAY CONNECTED AT THE REP

The Teacher’sLoungeIn an effort to make our educational materials more accessible tostudents and easier for educators to incorporate into the classroom, we have adopted a new, more student-oriented format. We hope that you will circulate thisguide among your students in the weeks preceding yourvisit to The Rep, encouraging them to browse it beforeand after class and as time allows, using it as a launchpoint for both pre- and post-performance discussions.You may also want to visit our website, www.repstl.orgfor additional information regarding the production elements, such as scenery, costumes, and lighting. Any materials, either from this guide, or from our

website may be reproduced for use in the class-room. As always, we appreciate yourmaking live theatre a part of your class-

room experience and welcome yourfeedback and questions.

Show Me Standards: CA 2, 3, 5, 6, 7; FA 2, 3, 4, 5; SC 7; SS 2, 3, 6 and Illinois Learning Standards: 1, 2, 4, 5, 11, 13, 16, 18, 25, 27.

At The Rep, we knowthat life moves fast—okay, really fast.But we also knowthat some things

are worth slowing down for. We believe that live theatre is one of those pit stops worth making and are excited thatyou are going to stop by for a show. To help you get themost bang for your buck, we have put together WU? @ THE REP—an IM guide that will give youeverything you need to know to get at the top of yourtheatergoing game—fast. You’ll find character descriptions(A/S/L), a plot summary (FYI), biographical informationon the playwright (F2F), historical context (B4U), andother bits and pieces (HTH). Most importantly, we’ll havesome ideas about what this all means IRL, anyway.

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SHERLOCK HOLMES, the Great Detective,the Bloodhound of Baker Street, one of themost brilliant detectives in London’s history,may have gotten in over his head with thiscase.

Holmes’ loyal friend and sidekick, DOCTORWATSON is a valuable and intelligent helperwho would follow his friend to any end.

Even though he considers PROFESSORMORIARTY his arch enemy, Holmes admitshe may have finally met his match in thiscriminal mastermind.

The KING OF BOHEMIA hires Holmes toprotect his reputation by hiding a pastindiscretion just days before his wedding.

Crafty opera singer IRENE ADLER seems tosteal the heart of every man she meets,perhaps even Holmes.

Though he may think he does, former legalcounsel JAMES LARRABEE has no realauthority in Moriarty’s band of criminals.

James’ sister, MADGE LARRABEE, alsoworks for Moriarty.

Weapons specialist SID PRINCE works forMoriarty and wants revenge on Holmes forarresting his former partner.

BAKER STREETIRREGULARS: Found inmany of Holmes’adventures, this smallgroup of street urchins isemployed by the detectiveto perform variousmissions.

PHONOGRAPH: SherlockHolmes used this devicethat reproduces sound bymeans of a needle riding inthe grooves of a rotatingdisc to play the music ofIrene Adler.

BOHEMIA: This historicalregion and former kingdomof present-day westernCzech Republic became thecore of the newly formedstate of Czechoslovakia in1918.

MONOGRAM: This designmade up of letters usuallyindicates the initials of aname.

SEVEN PERCENTSOLUTION: In the 1880s,cocaine was a new drugused as a local anestheticand as a nerve tonic.Cocaine or cocainederivatives were used inthroat lozenges, garglesand wines and werethought to be perfectlyharmless.

GUN ‘N’ CUDGELS: SidPrince uses this term todefine his job as a weaponsman.

SHILLING: Used in theUnited Kingdom prior to1971, this coin is worth1/20th of a pound, 5 newpence, or 12 old pence.

FORTNIGHT: This period oftime lasts 14 consecutivedays; two weeks.

MALEVOLENT: Thisadjective describes aperson exhibiting ill will orwishing harm to others.

PRIMER: A textbook thatis very basic or simplewould be called a Primer.

PROXY: This person acts asa legal representative orsubstitute for another.

ON A DAMP, DARK London morning a manand a policeman are having a discussion onthe street. Their topic of conversation revolvesaround a newspaper article the man is readingwhich bears the unfortunate news thatSherlock Holmes has been killed. Upon hearingthe men’s discussion, Dr. Watson, Holmes’closest friend and ally, thinks back six monthsprior to his own account of the last days of hisfriend’s life. So the story begins.

IT HAD BEEN quite a while since Watson hadseen the detective, when suddenly, a day sixmonths prior, a letter arrived beckoning thedoctor to his friend. Loyal as ever, Watson didnot hesitate and soon found himself crawlingthrough the cellar into Holmes’ famousresidence at Baker Street. Greeting his friend,Holmes quickly relates to Watson why he hascalled him again after so much time. It seemsthat after months of searching for a way tonab his arch enemy, Professor Moriarty, he mayhave finally found a way. A plan is in theworks which calls for Holmes to leave Londonimmediately and he wishes for his faithfulsidekick to accompany him.

SUDDENLY,THE MEN hear a great noisecoming from the second floor of Holmes’house. As Watson begins to panic, Holmescasually gives instruction that allows them togo unnoticed when a masked man burststhrough the door seconds later. Once he feelsthe moment is right, Holmes makes hispresence known and the masked man stateshis case. He is the King of Bohemia and he hascome, in a rather odd manner, to requestHolmes’ detective services. The king has awedding planned in just two weeks, and he is

being blackmailed with a revealing photoshowing a past relationship with anotherwoman. The past woman is none other thanone of Holmes’ own fascinations—thebeautiful and cunning opera singer IreneAdler. Watson informs the king that he andHolmes are leaving town and will be unable toaccept the case when, without explanation,Holmes agrees to take the job.

THE NEXT MORNING Holmes and Watsonset off in search of Ms. Adler at Briony Lodge,where the king had assured them she wasstaying. Just as they reach the lodge they seea woman and man leaving in a carriage for theChurch of St. Monica, so the two give chase.As they reach the church, Holmes and Watsonfind that the couple is Mr. Godfrey Norton andIrene Adler, who have just been married. Usingthe disguise of a clergyman, Holmes followsthe couple home and enters their house to tryand find where the photograph may behidden. Sure he has the answer, Holmesreturns under cover of darkness only to findthat Ms. Adler has bested him. Only a letter isleft behind at the Nortons’ home and thecouple has vanished.

RETURNING HOME to discuss his findingswith Watson and the king, Holmes ponders theclues he discovered in the letter and house.The men come to the conclusion that IreneAdler is being held against her will by her newhusband, who is not really Mr. Norton but thescoundrel and Moriarty man, James Larrabee!With Holmes’ two cases now intertwined, hemust find a way to save Irene Adler, find thephotograph and capture Moriarty—before it istoo late.

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FORENSICS:The use of science andtechnology to investigateand establish facts incriminal or civil courts of law. IT’S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE to turn on yourtelevision today without running smack dabinto a mystery. Popularity is skyrocketingfor shows like CSI, Law & Order, Bones andThe Unit, which focus on solving andpunishing crimes of all shapes and sizes.Thanks to shows like these, the Americanpublic is more interested in andknowledgeable about forensics, the legalsystem and criminology than ever before. Orare they? On television, a mystery is found,investigated and solved, all accomplished inan hour between commercials. Fingerprints,DNA, fibers, tire treads and other evidenceare all used to nail the suspect, who thenusually gives up and confesses to his or hercrime. The world of investigation and crime

seems exciting, interesting and fun, though experts will tell you that real-lifepresents a very different picture. Findingand analyzing forensic clues is tough workthat requires a lot of scientific training, andin the real world rarely works as easily aswe see on TV.

Watch an episode of a mystery show and see if youcan solve the crime. What forensic clues did theinvestigator use to solve the crime? Research one ofthese techniques. What really goes into catching acriminal? How must an investigation be performedfor the evidence to be admissible in court? What isdifferent and what is the same about what theyshowed you on TV?

Curtain Call

Now that you have seen the play, compare the waycrimes were studied in Sherlock Holmes’ time withwhat can be done today.

➤ What techniques did Holmes use and how have they been updated? How might Holmes have solved his case differently using the tools wehave today?

EVEN WITH detectives as successful asSherlock Holmes, some mysteries never getsolved. Whether evidence is destroyed orwitnesses disappear, there are some storiesthat move from mystery to legend statusbecause no one can prove or disprove theirtruth. Have you heard of these famousunsolved mysteries?

LOCH NESS MONSTERFor more than 1,300 years, people havereported seeing a mysterious creature inLoch Ness, a lake in Scotland. The beast,nicknamed Nessie, has been searched forusing cameras and underwater sonar gear,but nothing has yet been discovered. Some researchers think Nessie may haveactually been a sturgeon, which have been reported to reach sizes of 20 feet longand 500 pounds.

BERMUDA TRIANGLEThe Bermuda Triangle is an area of oceancreated by making a triangle betweenFlorida, Puerto Rico and Bermuda. The areais known for the many ships and aircraftthat have either wrecked or disappearedwhile passing through. In 1945, five militaryplanes reportedly vanished without a tracein the triangle, many ships also have beenlost.

BIGFOOTIn 1967, brief video footage of a large, hairycreature fleeing through a clearing in anorthern California forest appeared. Afterstudying the tape, experts came to theconclusion that the scene shows a man incostume. Others say the film shows a livingdescendant of a kind of giant ape that oncelived in China.

UFOSUnidentified flying objects, or UFOs, havebeen reported by people all over the world.Many believe that alien aircraft has beensighted and even has landed at a military airbase in Roswell, New Mexico, giving the areaa reputation as an alien study center.Though hundreds of people claim to haveseen a UFO or even been taken aboard aspaceship, no evidence has yet been foundto back their claims.

UNSOLVEDMYSTERIES

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CROP CIRCLESFirst appearing in England, crop circles havesince been reported all over the world.These areas of land are made with crops infields flattened to create a visible patternfrom above. Usually composed of circles ofvarious sizes, crop circles are said to havebeen produced by aliens. Claims have beenmade that the area of land where cropcircles are found have a kind of permanentdamage which keeps vegetation from evergrowing there again.

YETIAnother Bigfoot-like creature said to live inthe Himalayan mountains of Asia is the Yeti.Reported to be giant and ape-like, thisbeing is also called the AbominableSnowman. People in Tibet and Nepal havetold tales about this creature for centuries,but it has never been caught, dead or alive,or even photographed. Some experts believeit may really be some kind of bear.

➤ Research one of these or another unsolved mysterythat you know of. Find out where this storyoriginated and how it has progressed. What haveexperts found about this mystery?

➤ Do people still believe in this mystery? What evidence do supporters present to back their belief?

➤ What role does the media have in the life of thismystery?

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SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE’S fictionaldetective, Sherlock Holmes, lived andworked during the time in England knownas the Victorian Age. The term “Victorian”came to describe things and events of themid to late 19th century, or roughly duringthe reign of Queen Victoria. Overall the agehas often been characterized as a complextime in history which brought about greatchange and development in many areas ofsociety.

MONARCHYBorn on May 24, 1819, Queen Victoriabecame queen at the age of 18,following the death of her uncle,William IV. Upon her accession, theyoung queen fell immediately in love with her German cousin, PrinceAlbert, and they were married in

1840. Like many others of this age,Prince Albertwas veryinterested inart, science andmanufacturing,and he oversawthe creation of The CrystalPalace. Thisenormous glassand steelbuilding was

originally constructed to house The GreatExhibition, or the first World’s Fair, in 1851.Between 1841 and 1857, the Queen and herhusband expanded their family with ninechildren—four sons and five daughters. Thefamily was close-knit and happy until thePrince died suddenly in 1861 of typhoid.Queen Victoria was overcome with grief atthe loss of her beloved husband and for along time concealed her distress bycloistering herself from the public. Since thiswas a greatly unpopular behavior, however,after a time the widow continued her reign,expanding the British Empire over India,

Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Hong Kongand many more new colonies. A countrywhich in 1851 consisted of a population of21 million, at the end of Victoria’s reign in1901 numbered over 410 million people.

INDUSTRYThough the industrial revolution had alreadypassed, it was in the years following thatthe true effects of the movement wererealized. The industrial revolutiontransformed Britain from a rural populationcentered on agriculture to a metropolitansociety increasingly dependant on factorymanufacturing. People began migrating tocities in mass numbers resulting in terribleliving conditions. Cramped and overcrowdedtowns led to increased numbers of disease.Cholera, consumption and typhus killedthousands of English throughout thecentury. New class definitions began toemerge with these new occupations andlifestyles. The working class was comprisedof men and women who performed physicallabor and often made only 25-75 pounds ayear. Members of the middle class were thosemen who found work as lawyers or clerics,or others performing what was consideredmental or “clean” work. Annual income forthe middle class ranged greatly with lowerreaches only earning 150 pounds and themore successful bringing in up to 10,000pounds a year. The upper class societyremained very much the same as it hadalways been in English history. While upperclass may make little more than the highend of the middle class members, this classwas characterized by their status asgentlemen. The upper class was a group ofaristocrats with inherited titles, land andinvestments that brought them around30,000 pounds annually. Members of thissociety did not work and spent much oftheir time entertaining or studying art,history and religion.

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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGYWith the new attitude spurred by theindustrial revolution, people in the VictorianAge began exploring innovations in manyareas. New medical techniques werepopularized by the upper class; even QueenVictoria approved the use of chloroformwhen she used it in the delivery of herfourth son. Scientific study advanced andgrew into the discipline it is today. CharlesDarwin’s On the Origin of Species waspublished and had a great impact onscientific and popular mindset. This newdedication to study also furtheredtechnology and invention. Technologicaladvances during this time included suchground-breaking creations as electric lights,photographs, electric telegraphs, motor carsand telephones.

RELIGIONThough the English had the reputation ofbeing deeply religious, during the VictorianAge the Church of England reached a degreeof power and wealth that was deemedunacceptable by much of the population.Favoritism took over as the means ofappointing new leaders, and the size of aman’s wallet or political ties became muchmore important than his moral worth whenclerics were offered positions. As a result,the property and power of the churchincreased and high officials lived lives thatrivaled that of the monarchy. Divisionensued opening the gates for Methodists,Baptists, Quakers and Presbyterians toprovide space for worship withoutlimitations or expectations. Also during thistime, new scientific advancements, such asDarwinism, led to disagreements among thepeople and even the clergy, with theintroduction of new biblical, spiritual andphilosophical theories. Masses of middle andlower-class citizens left the traditionalChurch of England, greatly reducing itstyrannical power over the society.

WOMENThe Victorian Age upheld the distinctionbetween the sexes as powerfully as any timebefore, limiting women of every class in allaspects of life. Upper class women began lifeat home being educated in the arts of music,dancing, drawing and entertaining. A veryindustrious girl might also learn a fewpractical skills like sewing or embroidery,though a proper young lady’s duty was tobecome an attractive candidate for a mate.Securing a husband and then taking care ofhis household was the goal of all upper-classwomen. Seen first as the property of theirfathers and then their husbands, aristocraticwomen were directed through their lives ineverything they did.

Middle class women led quite a different life in that oftentimes, they were forced towork. If her family could afford to have her educated, a woman of this class hadopportunities for employment as a nanny,teacher, clerk or secretary. This sort ofwhite-collar work would earn the woman upto a few pounds a week which would thenbe turned over to her husband. If a middle-class woman was lucky enough to marry ahusband who secured a good living, shecould then stay home to raise her childrenand care for the household, her actions anddecisions, of course, made with the approvalof her husband.

As one would expect, the lower classes sawthe most poverty and least opportunity ofanyone in Victorian society. A poor womanwith a few years education could probablyfind work in a factory alongside men or as a servant in an aristocratic household. If a family was unable to provide aneducation of some kind, poor women often fell into prostitution and lived theirlives as outcasts.

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ARTHUR IGNATIUS CONAN DOYLE was bornon May 22, 1859, in Edinburgh, Scotland. Atthe age of nine, he was sent from his familyto a Jesuit boarding school in England wherehe spent the next seven years. Though hehated the school, he excelled in his studiesand at sports, mainly cricket. It seems it wasalso this period in his life that Arthur firstrealized he had a talent for storytelling. Afavorite of his pastimes was beingsurrounded by friends and classmates as hemade up fantastic stories to amuse them.

UPON HIS GRADUATION in 1876, ArthurDoyle, as he was known then, decided on acareer in medicine. Influenced by a youngdoctor his mother had taken in as a boarder,Doyle enrolled in the University ofEdinburgh and began his medical studies.Though his time at the University allowedhim to rub elbows with such future authorsas James Barrie and Robert Louis Stevenson,the man who most directly influenced Doylewas one of his teachers, Dr. Joseph Bell. Thisman’s incredible skills of observation, logicand deduction in making a diagnosis wouldlater become the basis of the famousdetective Sherlock Holmes.

A FEW YEARS into his medical studies,Doyle decided to try his hand at writing. Hisfirst short story, The Mystery of Sasassa Valleywas published in the Edinburgh magazineChamber’s Journal. The success of this storyprompted him to try a second, and laterthat same year The American Tale waspublished in London Society magazine. In1881, Doyle finished his schooling and leftthe University of Edinburgh with a Bachelorof Medicine and Master of Surgery degree.After a short run as a medical officer on thesteamer Mayumba, Dr. Conan Doyle left forPortsmouth to open his own practice. Withthe little money he had, he rented a houseand furnished two rooms, and after threeyears of struggle his practice finally startedto earn him an acceptable income.

NOW ESTABLISHED as a physician, ConanDoyle began dividing his time between hispractice, his writing and his new wife,Louisa Hawkins. In 1888 he published thenovel which would launch his writing career.Introducing his immortal creations, SherlockHolmes and Dr. Watson, A Study in Scarletvery quickly became the author’s ticket tofame. This success, however, began aproblem that Conan Doyle would fight therest of his life. As famous and beloved asSherlock Holmes stories would become, theircreator considered them the lesser of hisworks. A number of historical novels andserious plays were what Conan Doyle hopedwould be recognized.

AFTER THE SUCCESS he enjoyed with hisfirst Sherlock Holmes work, Conan Doylebecame quite well known in America. In1889, publisher Joseph Marshall Stoddartcame to London from Philadelphia toorganize a new magazine. The businessmanimmediately met with Conan Doyle andcommissioned another Sherlock Holmesstory. Published in 1890, The Sign of Four wasan immediate success and established bothauthor and character in literature. ConanDoyle, however, was restless for a newadventure. He, his wife and new baby Mary,left Portsmouth for Vienna, where heintended to specialize in Ophthalmology.Soon after arriving in the foreign country,however, Conan Doyle decided to return toLondon and open a new practice. This office,in the elegant neighborhood on UpperWimpole Street, was not busy and allowedthe doctor much time to write. It was at thistime that Conan Doyle made the decisionwhich would earn him the most success ofhis career. Since Sherlock Holmes was sowell liked, his creator decided to write awhole series of short stories on the samecharacter. He struck a deal with The Strandmagazine to publish his works, beginning acollaboration which would last decades.

,

SOON AFTER beginning these early Holmesstories, in 1891 Conan Doyle was strickenwith influenza, which took him to the vergeof death. After a long recovery he realizedthat his busy life was taking its toll on hishealth and made the decision to abandonhis medical career, focusing solely on hiswriting. A year later, in a shocking move,the impulsive Conan Doyle got rid ofSherlock Holmes. During a trip toSwitzerland he was inspired by the falls, andupon his return published The Final Problemkilling both Sherlock Holmes and hisnemesis, Professor Moriarty. The publicreaction was immediate and severe, with20,000 readers canceling their subscriptionsto The Strand. Conan Doyle was unmoved,however, and sought to focus on the seriouswriting he longed to produce. Focus on thisnew writing venture, however, took up muchof his attention, and before he realized howsick she was, Louisa was on the verge ofdeath, diagnosed with tuberculosis.

LOUISA’S CONDITION coupled with thesudden death of his father, sent Conan Doyleinto a deep depression. He threw himselfinto caring for his ailing wife and workingon his writing. A new character, BrigadierGerard, appeared in a 1894 publication ofThe Strand magazine and brought the writerback into the public’s good graces. Tosupplement his income and continueLouisa’s medical care, he also wrote a playabout Sherlock Holmes which, after beingrevised by famous American actor WilliamGillette, enjoyed a triumphant tour of boththe US and London. Meanwhile, Conan Doylemet and fell in love with Jean Leckie. Heremained physically faithful to his wife, butbegan a courtship with Leckie that wouldlast for years.

AGAIN FEELING the need for adventure, in1900 Conan Doyle volunteered for service inthe Boer War. Out of shape and overweightat the age of 40, he was deemed unfit toenlist, so offered his services as a physician.Upon his return to England, Conan Doylebegan a novel inspired by the local folkloreof the Devonshire moors. The book, about anancient manor, an escaped convict and ahuge black hound, became a world widesensation when the author decided toinclude Sherlock Holmes. Written as apreviously untold adventure happeningbefore the detective’s death, the firstepisode of The Hound of the Baskervillesappeared in The Strand in 1901 andimmediately delighted frustrated fans.

THIS SUCCESS, new habits of golf, hot airballooning and flying, as well as hisromantic relationship kept Conan Doylerather content until 1906 when Louisafinally died in her husband’s arms. Aftermonths of deep mourning over his belovedwife, Conan Doyle finally married JeanLeckie and moved with his new family toSussex. Over the next several years, hedabbled in science fiction and spirituality,creating The Lost World and The Land of Mistbefore Sherlock Holmes would make a finalappearance in His Last Bow. Happy in hisfamily and pursuits, Conan Doyle lived theremainder of his life in Sussex until he died,surrounded by his family, in 1930.

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“…“Your reputation, sir, precedes you.”

➤ The king, along with most of Londonsociety, knows of Holmes and his reputationfor being a great detective. What builds areputation like this? What must a person doto maintain this reputation? Do you thinkHolmes enjoys this reputation, or is it aproblem he must live with? How might hisreputation influence the way others seehim?

“One of the most dangerous classes onearth is the drifting and vengefulwoman. She inevitably incites in otherstheir own latent criminality.”

➤ Holmes seems to think that Ms. Adler canmake others do terrible things against theirwills. Do you think this is possible? Cansomeone be so affected by another personthat they will do something to which theywould not normally consent?

“A man’s secrets belong only to himself…and, of course, his God.”

➤ In this statement, Holmes appears to beapproving of a person keeping secrets fromeven his closest friends and relatives. Whenis it necessary to keep a secret? When is itharmful to lie? How do you make thedistinction?

Holmes: “You and I must leave London atonce…the game is afoot, Watson!—and it is a dangerous one….And shouldyou change your mind…I shall not hesitate to travel alone.”

Watson: “My mind is made.”

➤ Clearly Watson has made the decision tostick with his friend no matter what theoutcome, even putting his own safety indanger. Do you believe the sentiment ismutual? Do you have a friendship thisstrong with someone? What would make aperson feel such devotion to another?

LOGICAS A DOCTOR, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wasacutely aware of using skills of logic andobservation to reach a conclusion ordiagnosis. Moving into the world ofliterature, Conan Doyle’s character SherlockHolmes became the embodiment of theseskills to the extreme. Holmes’ keenobservation skills and his use of logic inproblem solving allowed him to become theleading detective in England if not theworld. In some cases, the value of Holmes’mind for logic has been called into questionby his faithful companion, Dr. Watson. Onoccasion, Watson remarks that Holmes isconsumed by his logical brain and becauseof it is unable to feel or exhibit any realemotion.

GOOD & EVILTHE DICHOTOMY of good and evil in ConanDoyle’s writing is mirrored by his own moralcode. A fervent believer in justice, the writerspent time fighting in wars, dabbling inpolitics and practicing law, all to fight forthe cause he believed was right. In hiswriting, Sherlock Holmes and ProfessorMoriarty are the very nature of good andevil. Holmes is good, logical and almostalways comes out ahead, while Moriarty isonly able to best the detective by usingunfair and evil means. The men are bothpresented as brilliant, though Moriarty useshis intelligence to create chaos while Holmesuses his skill for good. It is fitting that thetwo men seemingly meet their end together,as neither good nor evil could exist alone.