New
New
Year 10
Edexcel

'A Christmas Carol' Stave 1: Meeting Marley's ghost

I can explain the significance of Marley's ghost.

New
New
Year 10
Edexcel

'A Christmas Carol' Stave 1: Meeting Marley's ghost

I can explain the significance of Marley's ghost.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Marley’s ghost visits Scrooge and warns him of his impending damnation if he does not change his ways
  2. Dickens uses Marley's ghost to convey Christian ideas of penance and remorse
  3. The chains and cash boxes that Marley's ghost wears show that he wasted his life in pursuit of solely material gain
  4. Marley's ghost verbalises Dickens' message about the importance of being charitable and socially responsible
  5. 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.

Ensure that when discussing Marley or Marley's ghost, that students are clearly distinguishing between the two versions of the same character. Students need to recognise that they serve different purposes within the novella.
Teacher tip

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).

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6 Questions

Q1.
In 'A Christmas Carol', what relationship did Marley and Scrooge have? Choose the two most appropriate answers.
brothers
Correct answer: business partners
enemies
cousins
Correct answer: friends
Q2.
Which words would you use to describe Scrooge from 'A Christmas Carol'?
Correct answer: avaricious
generous
forgiving
charitable
Correct answer: miserly
Q3.
Complete the quotation from stave one of 'A Christmas Carol': "solitary as an ."
Correct Answer: oyster, oyster., Oyster
Q4.
Which of these is a synonym for 'cruel or insensitive'?
philanthropic
charitable
Correct answer: callous
stingy
devoted
Q5.
In 'A Christmas Carol', which classes of people does Scrooge represent?
Correct Answer: upper-middle classes, upper-middle, middle, upper, middle and upper
Q6.
Match the method to the quotation from 'A Christmas Carol'.
Correct Answer:Zoomorphism,"Scrooge walked out with a growl."

"Scrooge walked out with a growl."

Correct Answer:Pathetic fallacy,"The fog and frost so hung about."

"The fog and frost so hung about."

Correct Answer:Simile,"...like a bad lobster in a dark cellar..."

"...like a bad lobster in a dark cellar..."

Correct Answer:Onomatopoeia,"The cellar-door flew open with a booming sound."

"The cellar-door flew open with a booming sound."

Correct Answer:Personification,"whose gruff old bell was always peeping slily down"

"whose gruff old bell was always peeping slily down"

6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following does Marley's ghost have wrapped around him in stave 1 of 'A Christmas Carol'?
pearls
Correct answer: deeds
Correct answer: chains
swords
Correct answer: cash boxes
Q2.
In stave 1 of 'A Christmas Carol', which of the following emotions does Scrooge not feel during his meeting with Marley's ghost?
fear
curiosity
disbelief
horror
Correct answer: relief
Q3.
is an action performed by somebody who has sinned to show remorse or regret for their sins.
Correct Answer: penance, Penance, Penance., penance.
Q4.
In 'A Christmas Carol', each link on Marley's ghost's chain represents a .
Correct Answer: sin, Sin., sin., Sin
Q5.
In 'A Christmas Carol', which of the following interpretations can be given for Marley's ghost's statement that Scrooge's is a 'ponderous' chain?
it is made from the finest brass
Correct answer: it is a lengthy and weighty chain
Correct answer: it makes the wearer think about their behaviour and actions
it makes the wearer able to be seen beyond death
it is a light chain that is not much of a burden to carry
Q6.
Which of these are genuine quotations that Marley's ghost says to Scrooge in 'A Christmas Carol'?
Correct answer: "Mankind was my business."
Correct answer: "Is its pattern strange to you?"
"You will suffer eternally."
"Lessons must be learned."
Correct answer: "I girded it of my own free will."