Part 8 - An end to the haunting | English Literature - A Christmas Carol

Suitable for teaching 9-11s. The eighth part of an abridgment of Charles Dickens’ classic Christmas ghost story told in nine episodes. The spirit finally reveals to Scrooge the identity of the identity of the man who has died... him! Subscribe for more English Literature clips from BBC Teach on Friday when we have them in: If you found this video helpful, give it a like. Share it with someone. Add the video to your own teaching playlists. Create an account, subscribe to the channel and create playlists for different age groups, sets and syllabuses. Follow us on Twitter: ===================== Synopsis: The spirit wishes Scrooge to draw back the bedclothes and see who it is; but Scrooge refuses saying he cannot do it. Instead, Scrooge implores the spirit to show him a scene in which some emotion will be expressed for the man’s death. Accordingly the spirit shows Scrooge a scene in which a young woman awaits the return of her husband. She is very agitated and when he returns it becomes clear that they are in the debt of the man who has died. The debt has been called in, but in the nick of time the couple have been spared by the man’s death. Even here the ’only emotion that the Ghost could show Scrooge, caused by the event, was one of pleasure.’ As the story approaches its climax, the spirit takes Scrooge to the Cratchits once again. The household is extremely quiet, in contrast to Scrooge’s previous visit. It emerges that Mrs Cratchit is making items for a funeral and, when Bob returns it is from the church where he has just made arrangements. Bob relates how he bumped into Fred who offered kind words and an assurance that he would help the Cratchits in any way possible. Cratchit breaks down at the talk of his deceased child and he goes upstairs, where Tiny Tim’s body is laid out in bed. Scrooge senses that the time of parting is drawing near. He asks to know what man it was who lay dead in bed. The spirit ushers him away and, on their journey, Scrooge passes his old office, but still doesn’t work out why he cannot see an image of himself within. Finally, the spirit takes Scrooge to a graveyard. Reading the inscription on a gravestone, Scrooge at last realises the identity of the man who has died: it is himself. He implores the spirit: ’Are these the shadows of the things that will be, or are they shadows of things that may be, only?’ Scrooge promises that the change in him is complete and as he snatches at the spirit it dwindles down and disappears, becoming his own bedpost. This clip is from the BBC School Radio series A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. The classic Christmas ghost story of Ebenezer Scrooge and his haunting by three spirits is read by Alan Smith in an abridgment that is faithful to the original text. For our A Christmas Carol playlist: For our Primary English Literature playlist: For our Primary Drama playlist: For more resources from BBC School Radio: ===================== Teaching English Literature or Drama? You can find all the supporting resources for A Christmas Carol by visiting This clip is suitable for teaching the Key Stage 2/2nd Level English and Drama curriculum. ===================== For more clips from other subjects at the BBC Teach YouTube channel: More resources for teachers from the BBC: More from BBC Learning Zone: More resources from BBC Bitesize: ===================== Subscribe to create your own customised playlists, and get notified about our latest clips. As we have them, new videos will be uploaded on the following days: Mondays: Biology, Computer Science, Music, Religious Studies Tuesdays: Drama and Performance, English Language, Maths, Physical Education Wednesdays: Languages, Media Studies, Modern Studies and PSHE, Physics Thursdays: Art and Design, Chemistry, Geography, History Fridays: Business Studies, Design and Technology, English Literature, Early Years