The Hound of the Baskervilles study guide
by Arthur Conan Doyle · 1901 · 15 chapters · the whole book: 3 h 47 min to read
The Hound of the Baskervilles follows Holmes and Watson as they investigate Sir Charles's death and the danger surrounding Sir Henry Baskerville, with a family legend and enormous hound tracks shaping the mystery. Its main themes are fear, evidence, deception, and greed, as the investigation exposes Stapleton's use of a disguised dog to pursue the estate before Holmes saves Sir Henry.
The story in brief
Mortimer brings Holmes the family legend, evidence about Sir Charles's death, and the discovery of enormous hound tracks. He seeks advice about bringing Sir Henry to the family home. An anonymous warning and a mysterious follower deepen the danger. Watson accompanies Sir Henry to Baskerville Hall, where unexplained sobbing and an escaped murderer create unease. Miss Stapleton delivers an urgent warning meant for Sir Henry, while Watson uncovers the Barrymores' secret signals supplying food to Selden.
A burned letter directs Watson toward Laura Lyons, who admits arranging a meeting. Following a boy's deliveries, Watson reaches an occupied stone hut. Holmes reveals Stapleton's secret, and the detectives find a body dressed in Sir Henry's clothes. A family likeness suggests Stapleton's motive, while Laura exposes his manipulation. Holmes kills the hound and saves Sir Henry; Miss Stapleton is rescued, and Stapleton vanishes. Holmes finally explains how a frighteningly coated dog serves Stapleton's pursuit of the Baskerville estate. Read the 15-minute summary.
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Quick answers
What is The Hound of the Baskervilles about?
The Hound of the Baskervilles follows Holmes and Watson as they investigate Sir Charles's death and the danger facing Sir Henry Baskerville. A family legend, enormous hound tracks, an anonymous warning, and a mysterious follower shape the investigation.
Who narrates The Hound of the Baskervilles?
Watson narrates the investigation and begins by testing deductions from Mortimer's walking stick. As Sir Henry's companion at Baskerville Hall, he also investigates actively, uncovering secret signals and following a boy's deliveries toward a hidden watcher's shelter.
Who is the villain in The Hound of the Baskervilles?
Stapleton uses deception and a frighteningly coated dog to pursue the Baskerville estate. He also manipulates Laura Lyons through a marriage promise, leading her to arrange a meeting that gives him access to Sir Charles.
Is the hound supernatural in The Hound of the Baskervilles?
The hound is a real dog with a frightening coating, not a supernatural threat. The family legend and enormous tracks make a supernatural explanation seem plausible, but Holmes exposes how Stapleton uses the animal to create fear.
Does Sir Henry die in The Hound of the Baskervilles?
Sir Henry survives the hound's attack because Holmes kills the animal and saves him. However, severe shock and fever follow his rescue, showing that surviving the attack does not spare him its effects.
How does The Hound of the Baskervilles end?
Holmes kills the hound and saves Sir Henry, while Miss Stapleton is rescued and Stapleton vanishes. Holmes then explains the completed case at Baker Street, revealing how Stapleton used a frighteningly coated dog in his pursuit of the estate.
Where is The Hound of the Baskervilles set?
The novel's places include London, Baker Street, Baskerville Hall, and the moor. Watson accompanies Sir Henry to Baskerville Hall, while the final operation reaches Merripit House and dangerous Grimpen Mire.
What are the main themes of The Hound of the Baskervilles?
The novel explores fear, evidence, deception, and greed through the investigation of the Baskerville mystery. Sir Charles's fear makes him vulnerable, while Stapleton's disguised dog shows how real evidence can lead to a mistaken explanation when fear shapes belief.
Chapter summaries
- 1A visitor revealed through his stickWatson tests his deductions, and a country doctor arrives seeking help with an unexplained problem.
- 2A legend meets disturbing evidenceMortimer describes Sir Charles’s death and reveals tracks he keeps out of the inquest.
- 3Holmes examines the danger to HenryMortimer seeks advice about the heir, while physical clues suggest fear and a possible meeting.
- 4A warning and a watcherSir Henry brings troubling clues, and Holmes loses a mysterious follower before starting two new inquiries.
- 5Holmes loses three promising leadsWatson agrees to accompany Sir Henry, while missing footwear and a mocking stranger deepen the mystery.
- 6An uneasy arrival at the HallWatson accompanies Sir Henry to his ancestral home, where an escaped murderer and unexplained sobbing deepen their unease.
All 15 chapters
- 7A warning on the dangerous moorWatson questions a telegram delivery, meets two neighbors, and hears an urgent plea meant for Sir Henry.
- 8Watson watches Barrymore at nightA report links growing romantic tension, uncertain evidence, and a servant’s unexplained visit to an empty room.
- 9Signals and shadows on the moorWatson uncovers the Barrymores’ secret, witnesses a troubled courtship, and spots an unknown watcher.
- 10Two clues sharpen Watson’s searchA burned letter points toward a woman, while Barrymore reveals where the unknown watcher hides.
- 11Watson tracks the hidden watcherLaura Lyons admits arranging a meeting, and a boy’s deliveries lead to an occupied stone hut.
- 12A mistaken death exposes the dangerHolmes reveals Stapleton’s secret, and screams lead the detectives to a body dressed in Sir Henry’s clothes.
- 13Holmes prepares a deceptive departureA family likeness suggests a motive, and Laura Lyons exposes Stapleton’s manipulation.
- 14The hound falls and Stapleton vanishesAn ambush saves Sir Henry, while a rescued prisoner points the search toward a dangerous island refuge.
- 15Holmes explains the hidden plotA fireside discussion connects the criminal’s identity, the stolen boot, the warning letter, and the deadly animal.
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Try 3 months freeCharacters
Watson
Watson narrates the investigation and begins by testing deductions from Mortimer's walking stick. As Sir Henry's companion at Baskerville Hall, he becomes an active investigator, following a boy's deliveries toward the hidden watcher's shelter.
Key chapters: 1, 6, 9, 11
Holmes
Holmes challenges Watson's conclusions and uses deception as the investigation closes around Stapleton. He directs the ambush and kills the hound, but his later admission about Sir Henry's danger complicates his success.
Key chapters: 1, 13, 14, 15
Sir Henry Baskerville
Sir Henry Baskerville is the presumed heir after Sir Charles's death and brings troubling clues to Holmes. He survives the hound's attack, but severe shock and fever show that rescue does not erase the danger's effects.
Key chapters: 2, 4, 6, 14
Mortimer
Mortimer is Sir Charles's doctor and friend, bringing Holmes evidence while withholding the enormous hound tracks from the inquest.
Key chapters: 2, 3, 15
Miss Stapleton
Her rescue from bonds and abuse reveals her own danger, and she helps the search by identifying her husband's refuge.
Key chapters: 7, 9, 14
Stapleton
Stapleton conceals a secret that Holmes exposes, while a family portrait supplies a clue to his motive. His manipulation of Laura Lyons and use of a frighteningly coated dog show deception serving his pursuit of the Baskerville estate.
Key chapters: 12, 13, 15
Laura Lyons
Laura Lyons establishes a typing business with help after her husband deserts her. Trusting Stapleton's marriage promise, she arranges a meeting that gives him access to Sir Charles, then helps expose his manipulation.
Key chapters: 10, 11, 13, 15
Themes
Evidence and belief
The family legend and enormous tracks make belief in a supernatural threat seem plausible, but Holmes insists on examining other possibilities. The discovery of a coated dog shows how real evidence can support a mistaken explanation when fear supplies the connection.
Where it shows: chapters 2, 3, 15
Fear and vulnerability
Sir Charles's fear of the curse and weak heart make him vulnerable to Stapleton's scheme, showing fear as a practical weapon. Sir Henry Baskerville's shock and fever after surviving the attack suggest that exposure to terror leaves consequences even when death is avoided.
Where it shows: chapters 2, 14, 15
Concealment and trust
The Barrymores' secret signals and Stapleton's manipulation show that concealed actions do not all serve the same purpose. Laura Lyons's trust in a marriage promise suggests how emotional dependence can prevent someone from recognizing the meaning of another person's plans.
Where it shows: chapters 9, 13, 15
Protection and risk
Mortimer's request makes Sir Henry Baskerville's protection central to the investigation, yet the final ambush places him within reach of the hound. Holmes's admission of serious risk suggests that solving a case and keeping someone safe are not always identical achievements.
Where it shows: chapters 3, 14, 15
Symbols
The hound
The legendary hound works as an image of inherited fear. Its exposure as a coated dog shows how a frightening story can become a weapon in human hands.
Chapters 2, 15
The missing boot
The missing boot turns an ordinary possession into an unsettling clue. Its eventual connection with the animal shows how an apparently minor disturbance can belong to a deadly plan.
Chapters 5, 15
The family portrait
The family portrait works as a clue that concealment cannot fully suppress. Its resemblance to Stapleton suggests that the family's past helps explain the present danger.
Chapter 13
The signal light
The candle initially works as an image of unexplained secrecy. Once the signals are understood, it shows how an observed action can change meaning when its purpose becomes known.
Chapters 8, 9
Famous lines explained
Sherlock Holmes, Chapter 1. Holmes says this while challenging Watson's deductions from Mortimer's stick. It shows that mistaken reasoning can still help an investigation when someone examines why it fails.
Dr. James Mortimer, Chapter 2. Mortimer reveals the tracks during his account of Sir Charles's death.
Mrs. Barrymore, Chapter 9. The explanation shows that suspicious evidence requires context before it can establish what someone is doing.
Watson, Chapter 14. Watson describes the realization that the attacking hound can be wounded.
Holmes, Chapter 15. It shows the gap between understanding a crime and possessing evidence strong enough to establish it before a jury.
Setting
The final operation reaches Merripit House and dangerous Grimpen Mire, before Holmes explains the completed case at Baker Street.
Questions for discussion
- How should we judge Mortimer's decision to withhold the tracks from the inquest?
- What makes Holmes's refusal to accept a supernatural explanation convincing, and what might make it questionable?
Essay topics
- Fear. Analyze how belief in the family curse allows fear to become a practical weapon against Sir Charles.
- Reading Evidence. Use the candle signals to examine the difference between observing an action and understanding its meaning.
- Investigative Ethics. Assess Holmes's conduct by weighing the success of the ambush against his admission that he exposes Sir Henry Baskerville to serious harm.
Quick quiz
Question 1 of 10Score 0
What occasion does Mortimer say the stick commemorates?
What evidence does Mortimer withhold from the inquest?
What does Holmes ask Cartwright to find in hotel wastepaper?
What name does the spy give John Clayton?
Why does the telegram fail to establish Barrymore’s whereabouts?
Why does the test telegram fail to prove Barrymore’s presence?
Who identifies Laura Lyons as a woman with the initials L. L.?
Why does Laura say she does not attend her appointment with Sir Charles?
What makes Laura Lyons agree to reveal Stapleton’s role in her appointment?
What do the searchers recover from the mire?
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