'A Christmas Carol' Stave 1: Meeting Marley's ghost
I can explain the significance of Marley's ghost.
'A Christmas Carol' Stave 1: Meeting Marley's ghost
I can explain the significance of Marley's ghost.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Marley’s ghost visits Scrooge and warns him of his impending damnation if he does not change his ways
- Dickens uses Marley's ghost to convey Christian ideas of penance and remorse
- The chains and cash boxes that Marley's ghost wears show that he wasted his life in pursuit of solely material gain
- Marley's ghost verbalises Dickens' message about the importance of being charitable and socially responsible
- Marley's ghost's visit could be said to be a catalyst in Scrooge's transformation
Common misconception
Students often talk about Marley and Marley's Ghost as if they are the exact same character.
Marley in life held very different beliefs from Marley's ghost; his ghost acts as Scrooge's redeemer and represents something different.
Keywords
Penance - Penance is an action performed by somebody who has sinned to show remorse or regret for their sins.
Remorse - Somebody showing remorse would apologise for their actions and try to make amends.
Culminate - The culmination of something is the direct result of it.
Social responsibility - Somebody who believes in social responsibility invests in their community and supports those in need.
Catalyst - A catalyst is the cause of an important change.
Equipment
You will need access to a copy of Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' for this lesson.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
"Scrooge walked out with a growl."
"The fog and frost so hung about."
"...like a bad lobster in a dark cellar..."
"The cellar-door flew open with a booming sound."
"whose gruff old bell was always peeping slily down"