My key events summery for the play “A Christmas Carol”
Page 19
Stave 1
Jacob Marley dies on Christmas Eve.
Jacob Marley was Scrooges business partner. Marley was said to be “dead as a door-nail”. This is seven years before the rest of the story.
Page 22
Stave 1
Fred visits Scrooge’s counting house
Scrooge’s very cheerful nephew wishes Scrooge “A merry Christmas, uncle”. Scrooge states Christmas is just a time for “paying bills without money”. Fred then proceeds to invite Scrooge to “Dine with us tomorrow”. Scrooge changes the subject asking why Fred got married, to which he sates “Because I fell in love”. This is clearly not a good enough reason for scrooge who then attempts to “politely get him to leave”
Page 27
Stave 1
Two “Portly gentlemen” then visit scrooge asking him to donate to the poor
Scrooge asks them about the prisons, Wnion workhouses, the Treadmill and the Poor Law. The gentleman tells him they are still running. Scrooge however is “very glad to hear it”. The men continue to press for money saying “many would rather die”. This seems to satisfy Scrooge and says “they had better do it”. The gentleman then gave up.
Page 35
Stave 1
The Ghost of Jacob Marley appears in Scrooge’s door knocker
While scrooge is unlocking the door to his house he notices his normal door knocker “Was not a knocker, but Marley’s face”.
Page 37
Stave 1
Marley haunts Scrooge.
Marley makes his precents known before he actually shows himself to Scrooge. He makes “a disused bell […] begin to swing”, then “a clanking noise, deep down below” finally a “noise much louder” as he came up the stairs.. Scrooge is clearly very scared and resorts to trying to make a joke about Marley. “There’s More of gravy than of grave about you”. Marley then states that he will be haunted by three spirits.
Page 51
Stave 2
Scrooge is visited by the first spirit
The ghost of Christmas past visits at 1 the night after. The spirit is described to have mesmeric qualities “The face had not a wrinkle in it”. The spirit makes Scrooge come with him.
Page 53
Stave 2
Scrooge is taken back to his childhood
Scrooge is taken by the spirit to his old (ragged) school where he was abandoned by his father at Christmas and forced to stay. Scrooge recognized “Every gate, and post, and tree”. Scrooge’s sister (Fanny) makes an appearance and that seems to cheer Scrooge up a little. This is short lived as the Ghost says “She died a woman”.
Page 60
Stave 2
The Ghost then takes Scrooge to Fezziwig’s, Scrooge’s first employer
Scrooge recognized the warehouse door straight away. Scrooge positively remembered his time as an apprentice there. Fezziwig is joyous, kind and is compered to Father Christmas. (“Yo ho, my boys”). Dickens does show Fezziwig was a hard task master with the phrase “With old Fezziwig looking on. It was done within a minute”. The spirit shows Scrooge a past Christmas party they had showing Fezziwig clearly rewards his employees.
Page 68
Stave 2
Belle ends her engagement to Scrooge
This is due to the fact that Scrooge is too obsessed with money, Belle is happy to be poor and “Gain, engrosses” Scrooge. In Belle’s words: “Another idol has displaced me […] a golden one”.
Page 72
Stave 2
Scrooge tries to extinguish the Ghost’s bright light but fails.
Scrooge gets very upset seeing Belle and requests to “Conduct me home”, the Ghost denies. This angers Scrooge and he “seized the extinguisher-cap [and] pressed”
Page 75
Stave 3
Scrooge awakes in his bedroom and meets the Ghost of Christmas Present
The spirit seems to have decorated Scrooge’s room, “The walls and ceiling were so hung with living green”.
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Scrooge looks at how the people of London celebrate Christmas
The poor use the baker’s oven to cook their dinners “Innamerable people, carrying their dinners to the baker’s shops”.
Page 83
Stave 3
Scrooge is taken to the Cratchits’ house
The spirit shows Scrooge the Cratchits excitedly preparing to eat their Christmas dinner. Although the Goose (chosen because it was cheaper than turkey) is only very small but “Any Cratchit would have blushed to hint at such a thing”. All the family are together and they are grateful for all they have.
Page 92
Stave 3
The Ghost shows Scrooge that the joy of Christmas is universal
They visit a group of miners (“Who, labor in the bowels of the earth”), two lighthouse keepers (“Shed out a ray of brightness on the awful sea”), and a crew aboard a ship (“They stood beside the helmsman at the wheel”). They all share in the Christmas spirit.
Page 94
Stave 3
The Ghost takes Scrooge to Fred’s house on Christmas Day.
Fred is mocking Scrooge and his guests laugh. Fred raises a toast to Scrooge and won’t give up on him.
Page 99
Stave 3
As the Ghost ages, the two children, Ignorance and Want appear.
They are a product of Man. The Ghost warns Scrooge that is he doesn’t change, it will lead to his death.
Page 104
Stave 4
The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come appears, silent and hooded.
Page 105
Stave 4
They visit the Financial District of London
Here we witness Scrooge’s fellow businessmen discussing the funeral of a dead colleague. They make jokes at the dead person’s expense. The audience can infer that they are probably talking about scrooge.
Page 107
Stave 4
They visit the poorest, dirtiest part of London
Here, at Joe’s rag and bone shop, three thieves bring a dead person’s belongings to him to sell. Mrs Dilber, a cleaner (‘charwoman’), has a set of bed curtains, a blanket and a shirt.
Page 112
Stave 4
The Ghost shows Scrooge a poor couple
They are pleased a money lender is dead as they may not have to repay their debt to him.
Page 111
Stave 4
Scrooge finds himself next to a curtainless bed
There is a covered corpse upon it. He is too afraid to pull the shroud (cover) back.
Page 116
Stave 4
The Ghost takes Scrooge to the Cratchits
Here, the family is in mourning over the death of Tiny Tim.
Page 118
Stave 4
Scrooge begs to know who the dead man on the bed was.
The Ghost shows him a churchyard with his own tombstone. Scrooge promises to change his ways. The Ghost disappears.
Page 122
Stave 5
Upon waking on Christmas morning, Scrooge is joyful and dancing.
The weather is clear and sunny.
Page 124
Stave 5
Scrooge calls upon a poor boy
Scrooge offers him money to collect the largest turkey from the poulterer’s (the butcher’s). He sends the turkey to the Cratchits.
Page 125
Stave 5
Scrooge meets one of the charitable men from the previous night
He offers the man a sizeable sum of money for the charity but we do not know how much.
Page 126
Stave 5
Scrooge walks about the city and goes to church
He visits Fred’s house and has a wonderful time.
Page 128
Stave 5
Scrooge arrives early to work before Bob
He pretends to scold Bob for being late before telling him he will raise his salary. Scrooge promises to help Bob’s family and becomes a close friend to Tiny Tim. God bless us, everyone!
Page numbers are correct for the EMC (English & Media centre) Full Text Study Edition