Chapter 10 In Chapter 10, depictions of the weather become incredibly descriptive. According to Watson, one day is "dull and foggy day with a drizzle of rain . . . banked in with rolling clouds" and the next day is pouring rain while "driving clouds and at the tossing outline of the wind-swept trees," ending with the thought that it "is a wild night." This lesson will deal with the use of the weather reflecting what is happening with the characters.

Short Essay question. What literary purpose is there to parallel the weather with the characters? How does it add to the suspense and tension of the novel? What other examples can you think of within and outside of this novel where the outside elements seem to be a reflection of what is going with the characters?

Chapter 11 The surprise at the end of Chapter 11 is that the mysterious man on the moor is Sherlock Holmes. Although this is not the climax of the novel, this is a startling development that raises many questions for Watson and the readers. This section will deal with the use of twists in this novel.

Short essay question : What other twists have been used in this novel? Why are the twists so often revealed at the very end of the chapter? Do you find them particularly startling or surprising? Why or why not?  

Chapter 12 The Hound of the Baskervilles: Extract taken from Chapter 12. That cold, incisive, ironical voice could belong to but one man in all the world. 'Holmes!' I cried – 'Holmes!' 'Come out,' said he, 'and please be careful with the revolver.' I stooped under the rude lintel, and there he sat upon a stone outside, his grey eyes dancing with amusement as they fell upon my astonished features. He was thin and worn, but clear and alert, his keen face bronzed by the sun and roughened by the wind. In his tweed suit and cloth cap he looked like any other tourist upon the moor, and he had contrived, with that cat-like love of personal cleanliness which was one of his characteristics, that his chin should be as smooth and his linen as perfect as if he were in Baker Street. 'I was never more glad to see anyone in my life,' said I, as I wrung him by the hand. 'Or more astonished, eh?' 'Well, I must confess to it.' 'The surprise was not all on one side, I assure you. I had no idea that you found my occasional retreat, still less that you were inside it, until I was within twenty paces of the door.' 'My footprint, I presume?'

moment when you charged into the empty hut.' 'No, Watson; I fear that I could not undertake to recognize your footprint amid all the footprints of the world. If you seriously desire to deceive me you must change your tobacconist; for when I see the stub of a cigarette marked Bradley, Oxford Street, I know that my friend Watson is in the neighbourhood. You will see it there beside the path. You threw it down, no doubt, at that supreme moment when you charged into the empty hut.' 'Exactly.' 'I thought as much – and knowing your admirable tenacity, I was convinced that you were sitting in ambush, a weapon within reach, waiting for the tenant to return. So you actually thought that I was the criminal?'

________________________________________ Exam style questions Q1.From the extract, what do you discover about the character of Watson? Use evidence from the extract to support your answer. (8) Q2. Comment on the effect of the language used to describe the appearance of Holmes in the extract. Use examples of the writer's language from the extract. (10) Q3. Explore the significance of the relationship between Holmes and Watson in the extract. Use evidence from the extract to support your answer. (10) Q4. Explore the significance of the relationship between Holmes and Watson in one other part of the novel. Use examples of the writer's language to support your answer. (12) ________________________________________

Chapter 13 Chapter 13 reveals the second murder of the plot, in the form of the convict Selden who was mistaken for Sir Henry. After their encounter with Stapleton, Holmes remarks, "What a nerve the fellow has! How he pulled himself together in the face of what must have been a paralyzing shock," in reference to how Stapleton reacted to the news that Selden was accidentally killed and not Sir Henry. However, just before this encounter, Holmes reacts to the same news by laughing and dancing for joy. These reactions are eerily similar and this lesson will therefore explore the similarities between Holmes and Stapleton.

Short essay question. What exactly differs from Holmes's reactions to believing Sir Henry had died versus realizing that the dead man was Selden? How does Stapleton react to each situation? Why does Holmes react in such a way? Is he really happy that a man has died? Why or why not?

Chapter 14 By Chapter 14, it is clear that the changing of identities is a rather strong thread that weaves through the plot. Sir Henry goes from being a farmer in Canada to the squire of a large estate in Devonshire. Holmes hides himself on the moor, concealing his identity from even Watson. Stapleton has gone so far as to even change his name and pass his wife off as his sister. This lesson will deal with the use of identity as plot device.

Short essay question So far, which characters have had an identity change through the novel? Which characters have changed identities by deception? What is the point of people changing so much? How does it relate to the mystery of the hound?

Chapter 15 In Chapter 15, the villain Stapleton has escaped only to meet his untimely end in the Grimpen Mire. The moor has been established as just a vital character as any. However, the real danger comes, not from the landscape or the Grimpen Mire, but the people who inhabit it. Ironically, this deadly landscape proves to be the saviour to some of the characters and deals out justice to the ones who deserve it. This lesson will deal with the moor as a protector and bringer of justice.

Short essay question Consider the moor and all of its characteristics. What are some of the deadliest parts of it? How is this known? How do the good people who live there treat the moor? How do the villains or evil people treat the moor? Can the moor itself be considered an evil character? Why or why not?  

Chapter 16 By Chapter 16, Stapleton and Selden, both villains in different situations, are dead. In this novel, two wildly contrasting sets of relations are introduced: Sir Henry and Stapleton and Mrs Barrymore and Selden. One half of each pair is a good, moral, upstanding person while the other half tends more towards criminal depravity. The differences between these two pairs, however, is that while Selden and Mrs Barrymore were raised together, Sir Henry had no knowledge of Stapleton's existence. Because of these contrasts, this lesson will deal with the novel's take on nature versus nurture.

Short essay question Compare and Contrast: Discuss Selden and Stapleton. What reasons are given for Selden's behaviour? For Stapleton's? Do any of these explanations seem plausible? Why or why not? Who is more dangerous of the two characters? Why?