This lesson contains 14 slides, with interactive quizzes, text slides and 2 videos.
Lesson duration is: 50 min
Items in this lesson
Agatha Christie
Slide 1 - Slide
Today
How to disect a murder mystery with the help of Agatha Christie.
What makes a good mystery book/short story
Slide 2 - Slide
Slide 3 - Video
01:51
What is a common criticism of Christie’s characters?
A
They are two-dimensional
B
They are unlikeable
C
The suspects are introduced too late
D
There are too many internal monologues
Slide 4 - Quiz
Freytag's Pyramid
Slide 5 - Slide
Elements in a mystery: techniques
1 Limit the point of view
2 Choose the right setting
3 Play with style and form
4 Use dramatic irony
5 Use cliffhangers
Slide 6 - Slide
01:51
What is distinctive about many of Christie’s settings?
A
They are exotic
B
They are isolated
C
They are cozy
D
They are unrealistic
Slide 7 - Quiz
04:05
Christie’s clues are designed to be _____ by readers.
A
forgotten
B
ignored
C
easy to guess
D
misinterpreted
Slide 8 - Quiz
05:11
What makes Hercule Poirot and Jane Marple unique detectives, compared to Sherlock Holmes and other predecessors?
A
Patriotism
B
Traumatic backstories
C
They are outsiders
D
100% success rates
Slide 9 - Quiz
02:59
What did Christie often change as she worked?
A
The scene of the crime
B
The identity of victim
C
The identity of the murderer
D
The typewriter she wrote on
Slide 10 - Quiz
05:11
Hercule Poirot is a refugee living in England, and often suffers prejudice at the hands of his British suspects. In what ways does this give him a unique perspective as a detective?
timer
1:00
Slide 11 - Open question
05:11
Christie carefully plotted all of her books before she wrote a single word of the manuscript. What are the advantages and disadvantages of plotting out a murder mystery?
timer
1:00
Slide 12 - Open question
05:11
Agatha Christie’s characters are sometimes stereotypical: what are the pros and cons of this approach for the mystery writer?