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Dramatic Irony
Key Examples in The Adventure of the Speckled Band
Foil
Explanation and Analysis—Sherlock and Watson:
Throughout "The Adventure of the Speckled Band," the reader is presented with the contrasting personalities of Sherlock and Watson. Whereas Sherlock is eccentric and sometimes unpredictable, Watson is level-headed and responsible. Sherlock's deductive abilities are unmatched, while Watson is astounded by the former's discoveries. By positioning Watson as a foil for Sherlock, the story accentuates the latter's extraordinariness.
This becomes evident early in the story, when Sherlock wakes Watson earlier than usual:
...I woke one morning to find Sherlock Holmes standing, fully dressed, by the side of my bed. He was a late riser, as a rule, and as the clock on the mantelpiece showed me that it was only a quarter-past seven, I blinked up at him in some surprise, and perhaps just a little resentment, for I was myself regular in my habits.
