Marley's Ghost

Question 1

Quotes for Marley’s Ghost

Answer 1

-“I wear the chains I forged in life”
-“no rest, no peace. Incessant torture of remorse”
-“Mankind was my business”
-“Long, and wound about him like a tail”

Question 2

Analyse “I wear the chains I forged in life”

Answer 2

-Metaphor, physically restraining, weighing you down. Prison, loss of freedom
-Marley has been judged. As a result of his actions he can’t move forward. He must repent.
-Many Christians believe in a 3 tier system. Heaven, hell (sinners) and purgatory (cleanliness of sin). Marley is in purgatory, where Scrooge will end up.
-Actions have eternal consequences in the afterlife
- Repetition of personal pronoun connotes Marley taking responsibility suggesting the chain is a tool employed to atone for his sins

Question 3

Analyse “no rest, no peace. Incessant torture of remorse”

Answer 3

-Short sentences create tension by increasing the pace
-Mirrors the trapped and claustrophobic feeling Marley is experiencing
-Dickens leaves the sentence feeling unfinished, causing the audience to feel uncomfortable. Mirrors Scrooge’s uncomfortable feeling towards the ghost, allowing reader to emphasise with his character

Question 4

Analyse “mankind was my business”

Answer 4

-‘Was’ past suggests it’s too late and reinforces Marley’s message: Scrooge should change before it’s too late
-noun ‘Business’ symbolises social responsibility of caring for each other
-short sentence, larger impact, shock

Question 5

Analyse “Long, and wound about him like a tail”

Answer 5

-Animalistic imagery dehumanises Marley and creates a lack of sympathy for him. Dickens may be criticising the rich parsimonious misers
-Simile ‘like a tail’ makes the reader feel revolted by the animalistic imagery, as Marley is described like an animal.
-Presents idea that sins are suffocating him and are having visually detrimental effects on his humanity