Sherlock Holmes Research Paper

Sherlock Holmes, a fictional character that created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is arguably the most famous detective among the history of crime fictions. Appearing in the book Adventure of Sherlock Holmes first, Sherlock had moved to the screen since the 1920s. As the era changes, different actors revealed different Sherlock Holmes in the movies. Jeremy Brett’s Sherlock in Sherlock Holmes, 1984 TV Series, remains popular after years. Robert Downey Jr. brings a more entertainment version of Sherlock in Sherlock Holmes, by Guy Ritchie. However, none of them were as popular as Benedict Cumberbatch in Sherlock by Mark Gatiss. Benedict portrayed a contemporary Sherlock Holmes who lives in the digital world, and he brings many new elements to Sherlock. Benedict’s Holmes is an exaggerated version, either from the perspective of being intelligent, or from the perspective of being indifferent about human emotions. In particular, Benedict’s acting skill successfully illustrated such a difference in the interpretation of Sherlock Holmes.

For example, Jeremy’s Sherlock usually speaks slowly, walks with a stick and thinks twice before speaking. In general, Robert brings a more composed and steady Sherlock to the audience. In contrast to Jeremy, Benedict’s Sherlock is more active and his acting style greatly contributed to this result. In A study in pink, there was a conversation like this:

The content of conversation reveals Sherlock’s unparalleled ability of deduction. Meanwhile, Benedict speaks in an extreme speed and illustrates how quickly Sherlock thinks. By doing so, Benedict’s Sherlock leaves the impression of being more intelligent, energetic and