English File 3rdE - Intermediate - Revise and Check 9&10 -Short Films: The Hound of the Baskervilles

Summary

Dartmoor, a vast moorland in Devon, England, serves as the backdrop for Arthur Conan Doyle's 'The Hound of the Baskervilles.' Inspired by a local legend, Doyle crafted a mystery where Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson investigate the death of Sir Charles Baskerville, who was allegedly terrified to death by a monstrous hound. The story unfolds amidst the wild, rocky hills of Dartmoor, with Holmes secretly observing from a Bronze Age hut circle. The tale is a thrilling exploration of fear, superstition, and the power of deduction.

Takeaways

• 🌳 Dartmoor is a moorland area in Devon, England, covering almost a thousand square kilometers.
• 🐶 Dartmoor is the setting for Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes mystery, 'The Hound of the Baskervilles'.
• 📚 In 1896, Doyle wrote 'The Final Problem' intending to kill off Sherlock Holmes, but due to popular demand, brought him back.
• 💡 Doyle met Bertram Fletcher Robinson, who told him about a local legend involving a cursed family and a black dog.
• 🏞️ Dartmoor's landscape, including the tors, played a significant role in inspiring the setting for the story.
• 🔍 In 'The Hound of the Baskervilles', Holmes and Watson investigate the death of Sir Charles Baskerville, who was scared to death.
• 🏰 Holmes sends Watson to Baskerville Hall to investigate and protect Sir Henry Baskerville.
• 🕵️‍♂️ Holmes secretly observes Baskerville Hall from a Bronze Age hut circle, hiding his involvement in the case.
• 🤫 Holmes' secrecy is crucial to solving the mystery, as he explains to Watson later in the story.
• 🎭 The story ends with Holmes revealing the true cause of Sir Charles's death, which is a twist that the audience must discover.

Q & A

What is Dartmoor and where is it located?

Dartmoor is an area of moorland in Devon, England, covering almost a thousand square kilometers.

Which famous Sherlock Holmes mystery is set in Dartmoor?

The Hound of the Baskervilles is the famous Sherlock Holmes mystery set in Dartmoor.

Why did Arthur Conan Doyle initially want to stop writing about Sherlock Holmes?

Arthur Conan Doyle wanted to stop writing detective stories because he wrote 'The Final Problem' where Sherlock Holmes appears to have fallen to his death.

How did the public react to the idea of Sherlock Holmes' death?

The public was so fond of Sherlock Holmes that Doyle received thousands of letters asking him to bring the character back.

Who introduced Arthur Conan Doyle to the legend that would become the basis for 'The Hound of the Baskervilles'?

Bertram Fletcher Robinson, a journalist at the time, introduced Doyle to the legend about a cursed family and a huge black dog.

What is the central plot of 'The Hound of the Baskervilles'?

The central plot revolves around Holmes and Watson investigating the murder of Sir Charles Baskerville, who was apparently frightened to death by a huge dog.

What role does Dartmoor play in the story?

Dartmoor is a major character in the story, providing a mysterious landscape that serves as the setting for the new Sherlock Holmes adventure.

What are the rocky hills in Dartmoor called and what is their significance?

The rocky hills in Dartmoor are called tors, and they are important landmarks in the wild landscape.

Why did Sherlock Holmes send Dr. Watson to Baskerville Hall?

Holmes sent Watson to Baskerville Hall to investigate the death of Sir Charles and to protect Sir Henry Baskerville.

How did Sherlock Holmes approach the investigation of Baskerville Hall?

Holmes traveled alone and in secret, watching Baskerville Hall from one of the stone huts to maintain his anonymity during the investigation.

What was Holmes' reasoning for hiding his involvement in the case?

Holmes believed that if he hadn't hidden, he wouldn't have been able to solve the mystery, as his presence would have alerted the culprit.

Outlines

00:00

🔎 Dartmoor: The Setting of The Hound of the Baskervilles

Dartmoor, a moorland area in Devon, England, is the backdrop for Arthur Conan Doyle's famous Sherlock Holmes mystery, 'The Hound of the Baskervilles.' The author initially intended to end the detective series with 'The Final Problem,' but due to the character's immense popularity, Doyle was persuaded to continue. He met Bertram Fletcher Robinson, who introduced him to a local legend about a cursed family and a black hound. This sparked the idea for the new story. In 'The Hound of the Baskervilles,' Holmes and Dr. Watson investigate the death of Sir Charles Baskerville, who was seemingly terrified to death by a large dog. Dartmoor's landscape, including its rocky hills called tors, plays a significant role in the narrative. The story also involves ancient Bronze Age huts that serve as a perfect hiding place for Holmes to observe without being seen. Holmes secretly watches Baskerville Hall from one of these huts, revealing himself only at the end to solve the mystery, which was not caused by a supernatural hound but by a human murderer.

Keywords

💡Dartmoor

Dartmoor is an area of moorland in Devon, England, covering almost a thousand square kilometers. It is characterized by its wild, wet, and windy landscape. In the context of the video, Dartmoor serves as the setting for the Sherlock Holmes mystery 'The Hound of the Baskervilles.' The moor's rugged terrain and isolated nature make it an ideal backdrop for the story's suspenseful and mysterious events.

💡Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Known for his astute observation and logical reasoning, Holmes is central to the video's narrative as he investigates the murder of Sir Charles Baskerville. The character's popularity compelled Doyle to continue writing Holmes stories, including 'The Hound of the Baskervilles,' despite his initial intention to end the series.

💡Arthur Conan Doyle

Arthur Conan Doyle is the author who created Sherlock Holmes. In the video, Doyle is depicted as wanting to stop writing detective stories after 'The Final Problem,' where Holmes seemingly dies. However, due to the character's immense popularity, he was persuaded to bring Holmes back, leading to the creation of 'The Hound of the Baskervilles.'

💡The Hound of the Baskervilles

This is a novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle featuring Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. The story revolves around the investigation of the death of Sir Charles Baskerville, who is believed to have been killed by a supernatural hound. The novel is set on Dartmoor, and the video uses this story to explore the moor's eerie and mysterious atmosphere.

💡Bertram Fletcher Robinson

Bertram Fletcher Robinson was a journalist who introduced Arthur Conan Doyle to the legend of a cursed family and a huge black dog from rural Devon. This myth became the inspiration for 'The Hound of the Baskervilles,' with Dartmoor's landscape playing a significant role in the story's setting.

💡Moorland

Moorland refers to a type of wilderness that is typically characterized by barren, treeless landscapes. In the video, Dartmoor is described as an area of moorland, which sets the scene for the dark and foreboding atmosphere of 'The Hound of the Baskervilles.'

💡Dr. Watson

Dr. Watson is Sherlock Holmes' loyal friend and assistant, often accompanying him on his investigations. In the video, Watson is sent to Baskerville Hall to investigate the death of Sir Charles Baskerville and to protect his nephew, Sir Henry Baskerville. His presence adds a layer of realism and companionship to Holmes' adventures.

💡Baskerville Hall

Baskerville Hall is the ancestral home of the Baskerville family in the novel 'The Hound of the Baskervilles.' In the video, it is the location where Sir Charles Baskerville was found dead, and it becomes the focal point of the investigation led by Holmes and Watson.

💡Tors

Tors are rocky hills found on Dartmoor. They are significant landmarks within the moorland and play a crucial role in the video's narrative as they are used by Holmes as vantage points to secretly observe Baskerville Hall.

💡Bronze Age

The Bronze Age refers to a period in history characterized by the use of bronze. In the video, Bronze Age hut circles on Dartmoor are mentioned as being almost 3,500 years old. These ancient structures provide a historical context to the setting and add depth to the moor's mysterious and ancient atmosphere.

💡Sir Charles Baskerville

Sir Charles Baskerville is a character in 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' who is found dead at the beginning of the story, supposedly killed by a supernatural hound. His death is the catalyst for the investigation conducted by Holmes and Watson, as depicted in the video.

Highlights

Dartmoor is an area of moorland in Devon, England, covering almost a thousand square kilometers.

Dartmoor is the setting for the famous Sherlock Holmes mystery, The Hound of the Baskervilles.

Arthur Conan Doyle initially wanted to stop writing detective stories after 'The Final Problem'.

Due to popularity, Doyle received thousands of letters asking to bring back Sherlock Holmes.

In 1900, Doyle met Bertram Fletcher Robinson, who told him about a cursed family legend from Devon.

The legend involved a huge black dog that hunted and killed a family, inspiring The Hound of the Baskervilles.

Holmes and Dr. Watson investigate the murder of Sir Charles Baskerville in the story.

Sir Charles was apparently frightened to death by a huge dog.

Dartmoor's rocky hills, called tors, are important landmarks in the story.

Watson sees a shadowy figure on a tor, initially thinking it's an escaped prisoner.

The figure is actually Sherlock Holmes in disguise, secretly investigating.

Bronze Age hut circles on Dartmoor provide a perfect hiding place for Holmes.

Holmes sends Watson to Baskerville Hall to investigate and protect Sir Henry Baskerville.

Holmes travels alone and in secret to maintain the element of surprise.

Holmes secretly watches Baskerville Hall from a stone hut.

Holmes reveals himself to Watson, claiming that hiding was crucial to solving the mystery.

The true cause of Sir Charles's death is a twist in the story that Doyle leaves for readers to discover.

Transcripts

[Music]

this is dartmoor an area of moorland in

devon england that covers almost a

thousand square kilometers

this wild wet and windy countryside is

the setting for the famous sherlock

holmes mystery the hound of the

baskervilles

in 1896 arthur conan doyle the man who

created the fictional detective sherlock

holmes wanted to stop writing detective

stories

he wrote a short story called the final

problem in which sherlock appears to

have fallen to his death at the

reichenbach falls

however

sherlock holmes was so popular that the

author received thousands of letters

asking him to bring the character back

there were far too many letters to

ignore conan doyle needed a new sherlock

holmes story

then in 1900 he met bertram fletcher

robinson

robinson who was working as a journalist

at the time

told doyle about an old legend from

rural devon

the myth was about a cursed family and a

huge black dog that hunted and finally

killed each member of the family

when robinson introduced oil to the

mysterious landscape of dartmoor

the author knew he had found the setting

for a brand new sherlock holmes

adventure

the hound of the baskervilles

in the story holmes and his friend dr

watson

investigate the murder of sir charles

baskerville

sir charles was apparently frightened to

death by a huge dog

the hound of the baskervilles

if holmes and watson can solve the

mystery of sir charles's murder maybe

they can save the life of his nephew sir

henry baskerville

dartmoor is a major character in the

story too

these rocky hills called tours feature a

lot

in this wild landscape they are

important landmarks

and it's on a tour like this that watson

sees a thin shadowy figure who he thinks

is an escaped prisoner from the nearby

dartmoor prison

but it was actually his old friend

sherlock holmes

bronze age hot circles like this one

which is almost 3

500 years old are all over the moor

there are 24 hut circles here and they

provide homes with the perfect hiding

place where he can watch without being

seen

in the story holmes sends watson to

baskerville hall for two reasons

to investigate the death of sir charles

and to protect sir henry

sherlock travels too but he goes alone

and in secret

if he had gone with watson everybody

would have known that the famous

detective was on the case

instead he secretly watches baskerville

hall from one of these stone huts

in the end holmes reveals himself to

watson

he claims that if he hadn't hidden he

wouldn't have solved the mystery

he explains that sir charles wasn't

killed by a big black dog

he was actually murdered by

well if i told you that it would ruin

the mystery wouldn't it

you'll have to read it for yourself