Hi Everyone!! This article will share The Adventure of the Dying Detective Questions & Answers.
In my previous posts, I have also shared the questions and answers of When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer, A Shot in the Dark and Where The Mind Is Without Fear so, you can check these posts as well.
The Adventure of the Dying Detective Questions & Answers
Question 1: Who told Dr Watson that Holmes was ill?
Answer: Sherlock Holmes’ landlady told Dr Watson that Holmes was ill.
Question 2: Where did Holmes get the illness from? When did he get?
Answer: Holmes got the illness from dockworkers while he was working on a case in an alley near the river. However, we know that it was a made-up story.
Question 3: Explain how Holmes pretend to be ill? Comment on –
(a) His appearance (b) His actions
Answer: Holmes pretended to be ill by fasting for three days to look pale so that his acting as a sick person should look natural. To give a fine touch he applied vaseline on his forehead, rouged over the cheek-bones and applied crusts of beeswax around his lips.
(a) His appearance
He looked terrible, his face was gaunt, there was a hectic flush on his cheek and had dark crusts on his lips.
(b) His actions
His thin hands twitched incessantly, his voice was croaking and spasmodic.
Question 4: What did Holmes ask Watson to do before leaving his room?
Answer: Holmes asked Watson to light the gas lamp only half on. Then he asked him to place some letters and papers on the table within his reach and also to place the ivory box on the table with the help of sugar tongs.
Question 5: Where does Culverton Smith usually live?
Answer: Mr Culverton Smith usually lives in Sumatra.
Question 6: Who had sent Holmes the ivory box and what was in it?
Answer: The ivory box came by an anonymous post however, it was sent Mr Culverton Smith. The box had a sharp spring inside it, that drew blood and infected anyone who opened the it.
The Adventure of the Dying Detective Questions & Answers
Question 7: Why did Mr Culverton Smith want to kill Holmes?
Answer: Holmes knew the fact that Mr Culverton Smith had murdered Victor. Holmes was gathering evidence to prove him guilty. Due to this, Culverton Smith wanted to kill Holmes.
Question 8: Who was waiting outside Holmes’ house and what signal was he waiting for?
Answer: Inspector Morton of Scotland Yard was waiting outside Holmes’ house and was waiting for the light and the gas to be turned on.
Question 9: Where did Watson hide and why did Holmes need him there?
Answer: Holmes asked Watson to hide behind the head of his bed, so that he can secretly witness the confession of Culverton Smith.
Question 10: Which details, not including the revelation that he is a murderer, create the impression that Culverton Smith is an unpleasant person?
Answer: Culverton Smith gave a very cold welcome when Watson arrived at his place. He rather denied meeting Watson in a rude manner by passing a message through his butler. When Watson intruded into Smith’s room and revealed about Holmes’ illness, Culverton Smith gave a malicious smile and turned towards Watson with expressions as if he was genuinely concerned about Holmes’ illness.
All the above incidents create an impression that Culverton Smith is an unpleasant person.
Question 11: What clues are there in the story that Holmes was not really ill?
Answer: Holmes jumped out of the bed with tiger-spring to lock the door when Watson insisted on getting a doctor. He shouts at Watson to leave the ivory box on the mantlepiece. He spoke in his normal voice as soon as he heard Culverton Smith’s confession.
All these clues show that Holmes was not really ill.
Question 12: Answer the following questions with reference to the context.
It was certainly, as you said, very surprising that he should have contracted an Asiatic disease in the heart of London – a disease, too of which I had made such a very special study.
(a) Who is speaking? To whom?
Answer: Culverton Smith is speaking to Holmes.
(b) Who is being referred to? What happened to him?
Answer: This is being referred to Victor Savage, who had died by contracting an Asiatic disease.
(c) Where was the disease from?
Answer: The disease was from Sumatra.
Question 13: Answer the following questions with reference to the context.
‘The best way of successfully acting a part is to be it,’
(a) Who is speaking?
Answer: Holmes is speaking here.
(b) What part has he been acting?
Answer: He has been acting as an ill person affected by a horribly contagious disease.
(c) In what way was he ‘being it’?
Answer: Holmes was on fasting for three days to look pale so that his acting as a sick person should look natural.
So, these were The Adventure of the Dying Detective Questions & Answers.