The Hound of the Baskervilles

by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

What is the central conflict in The Hound of the

Baskervilles? How is this conflict developed
through the rising action, climax, and resolution?
PDF
Cite
Share

Cite this page as follows:

"What is the central conflict in The Hound of the Baskervilles? How is this conflict developed through
the rising action, climax, and resolution?" eNotes Editorial, 10 Dec. 2014,
https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-central-conflict-hound-baskervilles-how-this-473125.
Accessed 18 Sep. 2022.

Expert Answers
Holmes vs. Stapleton: The main conflict is that Mr. Stapleton is killing heirs to the Baskerville
fortune.

The main conflict in the story is Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack Stapleton.  We do not know that Stapleton
is the murderer until near the end, but he is the one who killed Charles Baskerville and set the events in
motion.  The basis of the conflict is therefore Stapleton’s threat to Henry Baskerville, which Holmes is
trying to prevent.  Holmes is trying to identify Stapleton, Stapleton is trying to evade identification.

Rising action events are the events between the exposition, when the characters and setting are
introduced, and the climax, when the most exciting event happens.  The climax of a mystery is the
turning point, when it is finally solved.

The first event of rising action is that Dr. Watson is dispatched to Baskerville Hall by Holmes (who said
he was too busy).  There he snoops around, and meets his suspects.  They include the Barrymores,
the servants, the Stapletons (a supposed brother and sister pair), and Mr. Frankland, who likes
lawsuits.

One of the oddest events in the rising action is when Watson and Henry Baskerville stay up to try to
find out what the Barrymores are up to, only to find out that they are leaving a candle for Mrs.
Barrymore’s brother, the convict!  He has been staying out on the moor.  What a red herring.  (A red
herring is a false clue.
Rising action event number two is when Miss Stapleton warns Watson to leave the area, thinking he is
Sir Henry.  What?

Finally, rising action event number 3 is the best one by far.  This is where Watson sees a very
suspicious man out on the moor and goes to investigate.  It’s not the murderer though!  It turns out to
be Sherlock Holmes.  He’s been there all along!  Watson is surprised, but as you can tell, Holmes is a
little surprised too.  Watson has a bit more skill than he game him credit for.

“The surprise was not all on one side, I assure you. I had no idea that you had found my
occasional retreat, still less that you were inside it, until I was within twenty paces of the
door.”

Holmes has been having all of his mail forwarded, staying in an ancient hut.  He solves the case, and
discovers that Stapleton is a distant heir to the Baskerville fortune and using the legend of the hound.

Where is this brute of a hound which drove him to his death? It may be lurking among
these rocks at this instant. And Stapleton, where is he? He shall answer for this deed.” (Ch.
12)

The climax is when they confront him, and the reveal.  Holmes also notes that Miss Stapleton is not
his sister but his wife.  She was also playing a role. 

The resolution comes when Stapleton, in an effort to get away, runs off into the moor and gets sunken
into the quicksand of the swamp.  He is presumed dead.  Sir Henry is safe.  If he is still sweet on the
poor Mrs./Miss Stapleton, I suppose he can marry her and they can live happily ever after.

Holmes always gets his man, but this episode proves that Watson has some deductive skills too. 
Holmes was watching everything he did and double checking his work.  Poor John thought that
Sherlock was putting a lot of trust in him with this case, when really Holmes was just putting one over
on him.  Holmes is selfish and thinks only of himself.  John Watson being John Watson, he seemed to
be angry only for a minute, and then just glad the weight of the investigation was no longer on his
shoulders.