Compare Lamb to the Slaughter and The Speckled Band Essay

Murder mysteries - Compare Lamb to the Slaughter and The Speckled Band. Murder mysteries all have a similar plot consisting of a body, a motive, a weapon, a suspect, an alibi, and detectives. Viewers and readers expect this in the text, Lamb to the Slaughter and The Speckled Band are no exception. The structures of the two stories are very different, with The Speckled Band story unfolding in chronological order, finding out the murderer right at the end, however in the Lamb to the Slaughter, the murderer is known at the beginning of the story. The two stories are seen from two different points of view, first-person narrator in The Speckled Band as Dr Watson character within the story and therefore limited in understanding†¦show more content†¦Also in The Speckled Band, Dr Roylott, is the evil, plotting, devious, fictional murderer; this character was portrayed in most murder mysteries stories written in the late 19 century. The Speckled Band was written in 1892. In the Lamb to the Slaughter we had no idea who the murderer and victim were going to be until the murder had been committed, in fact you might of thought the roles would have been reversed once reading the first few pages. The detectives in the story are portrayed as acting as typical modern police detectives, they eat the evidence! The detectives appear so stupid and useless compared to the marvellous and calculating Sherlock Holmes. The points of high tension are different in the two stories. In The Speckled Band the main point of high tension is right at the end when they find out who the murderer is and when the snake comes at Holmes Holmes sprang from the bed, struck a match, and lashed furiously with his cane at the bell-pull. Other points of tension were Helen Stoner talking to Holmes, Frightened eyes like those of some hunted animal, the night of the murder, A wild wind. The wind was howling outside suddenly there burst forth the wild scream of a woman, and the sisters hot words, She suddenly shrieked out in a voice which I shall never forget, O, my God! Helen! It was the band! The Speckled band! In the Lamb to the Slaughter the point of high tension is whether the detectives wouldShow MoreRelated Compare and Contrast Lamb to the Slaughter and The Speckled Band1392 Words   |  6 PagesCompare and Contrast Lamb to the Slaughter and The Speckled Band ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’ and ‘The Speckled Band’ are both written is separate eras and cultures, and these differences are reflected in the way the authors use language, structure and moral techniques in their stories. How ever, there are some similarities in these stories as both are of the thriller genre. The story ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’ is about a husband and a wife whose relationship comes to a sudden halt. The sweetRead MoreMurder Mysteries Essay2434 Words   |  10 PagesHow Far Are The Speckled Band And Lamb To The Slaughter Typical Of Murder Mysteries? How Are The Stories The Same And How Are They Different? Compare The Ways In Which The Stories Are Told Murder mystery usually means where there is a murder involving money, love or revenge. The victims friend or a family member goes to a detective and tells them what they know about the murder and the suspects and where they were, and what they were doing at that time. There are a lot of famous detectivesRead MoreAtmosphere and Tension in The Speckled Band by Air Arthur Conan Doyle and Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl2251 Words   |  10 PagesAtmosphere and Tension in The Speckled Band by Air Arthur Conan Doyle and Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl Both the stories I am analysing are murder mysteries and they are set in very different time periods. Summary of stories lamb to the slaughter The lamb to the slaughter was a murder mystery story based on a troubled couple. Mary Malone is a keen housewife who is deeply in love with her husband and will do nearly anything to please him. Her husband isRead MoreThe Speckled Band by Arthur Conan Doyle and Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl2642 Words   |  11 Pageshistorical context of each text reflected in The Speckled Ban by Arthur Conan Doyle and Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl. In this essay, I intend to compare and contrast the two short stories The Speckled Band by Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle, and Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl, picking out techniques used which make it exactly, or exactly the opposite of a typical detective story/murder mystery. Both The Speckled Band and Lamb to the Slaughter have ingredients for a detective story