Arthur Conan Doyle's The Adventure Of The Speckled Band

In Arthur Conan Doyle’s “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” the reader is directed to believe Sherlock Holmes was at fault for Dr. Roylott’s death. Contrary to what the reader is led to believe, Holmes is not responsible for the death of Dr. Roylott. Dr. Roylott violently threatened Holmes after Helen’s visit. From this you can infer that Dr. Roylott showed a higher level of hostility towards Holmes than Holmes showed towards Dr. Roylott. Holmes had no knowledge as to where Dr. Roylott was. If Holmes had known of Dr. Roylott’s whereabouts, Holmes most likely would have taken a different course of action. Holmes pledged to protect Helen Stoner. To ensure her safety, Holmes had to prevent the Swamp Adder, India’s deadliest snake, from approaching Helen. The threats directed towards Holmes prove Dr. Roylott intended to commit a nefarious crime. Dr. Roylott had already been suspected of murdering his step daughter Julia Stoner to inherit the money left by his deceased wife; consequently, Helen feared for her life in suspicion that the unspeakable acts would be repeated onto her. Upon noticing Helen seeking help from a detective, Dr. Roylott took it upon himself to threaten Holmes. Dr. Roylott threatened Holmes in hope of invoking …show more content…
If Holmes had let Helen sustain an injury, he would have failed his mission. Holmes made the most logical decision; subsequently, Dr. Roylott died. Holmes had no way of knowing Dr. Roylott was on the other side of the ventilator; however, the loud ruckus should have alerted Dr. Roylott to the presence of Holmes and Watson. Instead of taking action upon hearing the noises, Dr. Roylott sat in the chair that the Swamp Adder usually falls onto after emerging from the ventilator. This decision ultimately led to Dr. Roylott’s demise; moreover, the reader is left to wonder what would cause such a drastic action to be