The Red- Headed League

“The Red- Headed League” By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Part I: Notes on Classic Detective/Mystery Stories: The six standards (guidelines) most good detective stories follow are: 1. The crime must be ______, or important. 2. The ______must be memorable. He or she usually has several distinct characteristics that make a reader want to know and read more about him or her. 3. The ______must be a worthy opponent. Detective stories are more satisfying when they involve both an interesting criminal and crime solver. Catching someone because he or she made a careless, unthinking action is not as interesting as it would be if the criminal has a well thought out plan that you are able to unravel. 4. The ______, or pieces of the puzzle must be made available to the reader. To find out later that important information has been left out for the reader on purpose just to keep them from figuring out the mystery is unsatisfying. 5. The ______must appear early in the story. Even if they are not obviously mentioned as a suspicious person, they must be presented as a character in the story. It is not good to have the culprit be some random stranger that no one reading the story has even heard of. 6. The solution must be ______and ______. Having a solution that could not possibly occur leaves a reader dissatisfied. Part IIA: Vocabulary: Define each of the following and tell the part of speech: tether mystery formidable mayday characterization settee retrograded singular snuff hoist avail Freemason excruciating hoax Billet incredulously introspective Solicitor flailing vex Ennui hypothermic conundrums Hansom maelstrom astuteness Part IIB: Choose 10 other words from the story, “The Redheaded League” and define them. Write an original sentence with each. Part III: Notes on the Characters Write your observations about each person as you read the story. Add material as requested by your teacher as needed. Use these notes to help you study for the Final Exam. Sherlock Holmes Dr. Watson Jabez Wilson Vincent Spaulding Duncan Ross Mr. Jones Mr. Merryweather Part IV: Journal Entry Activity for “The Redheaded League” Pretend you are Dr. Watson. You’ve just left Sherlock Holmes after the concert and are awaiting your appointment with him for the evening. Write about today’s events summarizing them as you write. Make a prediction about what you think might be going on. Feel free to express your puzzlement about the events and Sherlock’s actions.