Sherlock Holmes Reasoning In Bohemia
Theatrical Reason
In Arthur Conan Doyle’s A Scandal in Bohemia, Sherlock Holmes uses his famous reasoning abilities to read a woman in order to solve a problem. After all, according to Holmes a woman’s emotions always give her away, making it easy for him to find Irene Adler’s hidden photograph. The apparently rational assumptions about women lead Sherlock Holmes to overconfidently use those generalizations in his reasoning to find the photograph. Theatricality is the main tool used by men in this story, and in their seemingly flawless use of a costume, they underestimate the ability of others to see through their reasoning. Though theatrical efforts are used as a result of a man’s reasoning, it is the man’s overconfidence in his …show more content…
He uses his reasoning in deciding his character “of a groom out of work,” (219) using a logical assumption about grooms that by doing so “[he] will know all that there is to know” (219). Here, Holmes’ reasoning works to his advantage, as he accomplishes what he sets out to do. It might then be argued that his reasoning here proves the successful use of his theatricality, but it can also be said that the success of his first costume leads Holmes’ to decide to use a second costume. In this case, his reasoning leads him to assume that theatricality will prove successful the second time around as well. Combined with his preconceived assumption about women, it follows that Holmes overconfidently uses theatrics the second time …show more content…
Despite her emotions serving Holmes in the way he anticipated, she was able to use her logical judgment to identify Holmes for who he really was, even though he did nothing to directly reveal himself. Her knowledge of who he was came unexpected to Holmes. Although he was quick to utilize common assumptions about women, he underestimated Irene’s ability to reason for herself, and in doing so he overestimated his seemingly faultless theatrical idea. He was so overconfident, in fact, that he barely gave a second thought to the person who said, “Good night, Mister Sherlock Holmes” (231). The next day he told the King of his seemingly reasonable findings, without any doubt as to his success, which is why his failure comes as a bit of a shock to
In Arthur Conan Doyle’s A Scandal in Bohemia, Sherlock Holmes uses his famous reasoning abilities to read a woman in order to solve a problem. After all, according to Holmes a woman’s emotions always give her away, making it easy for him to find Irene Adler’s hidden photograph. The apparently rational assumptions about women lead Sherlock Holmes to overconfidently use those generalizations in his reasoning to find the photograph. Theatricality is the main tool used by men in this story, and in their seemingly flawless use of a costume, they underestimate the ability of others to see through their reasoning. Though theatrical efforts are used as a result of a man’s reasoning, it is the man’s overconfidence in his …show more content…
He uses his reasoning in deciding his character “of a groom out of work,” (219) using a logical assumption about grooms that by doing so “[he] will know all that there is to know” (219). Here, Holmes’ reasoning works to his advantage, as he accomplishes what he sets out to do. It might then be argued that his reasoning here proves the successful use of his theatricality, but it can also be said that the success of his first costume leads Holmes’ to decide to use a second costume. In this case, his reasoning leads him to assume that theatricality will prove successful the second time around as well. Combined with his preconceived assumption about women, it follows that Holmes overconfidently uses theatrics the second time …show more content…
Despite her emotions serving Holmes in the way he anticipated, she was able to use her logical judgment to identify Holmes for who he really was, even though he did nothing to directly reveal himself. Her knowledge of who he was came unexpected to Holmes. Although he was quick to utilize common assumptions about women, he underestimated Irene’s ability to reason for herself, and in doing so he overestimated his seemingly faultless theatrical idea. He was so overconfident, in fact, that he barely gave a second thought to the person who said, “Good night, Mister Sherlock Holmes” (231). The next day he told the King of his seemingly reasonable findings, without any doubt as to his success, which is why his failure comes as a bit of a shock to