The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Lesson Plan

Of all the antagonists you’ve encountered so far, who has had the “best” justification for the crime or misdeed they committed?

Some students might argue that Mr. Turner from “The Boscombe Valley Mystery” had the best reasoning for his crime. He was being blackmailed, and he committed murder in order to protect his daughter. His reasons were not selfish. It is because his reasons were not necessarily malicious that Sherlock decides not to report him. Students may also argue that Irene Adler had good reasons. She was committing blackmail, yes, but some students might read that as a woman claiming agency in a highly patriarchal society.

What clues does Sherlock identify...