Starter quiz
- Who is Jacob Marley in 'A Christmas Carol?'
- Scrooge's nephew
- Scrooge's brother
- Scrooge's former business partner ✓
- Scrooge's employee
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- What do we learn about Jacob Marley in the very beginning of 'A Christmas Carol'?
- that he was a miser, like Scrooge
- that he was very poor like Bob Cratchit
- that he had died ✓
- that he had been a very popular man
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- In 'A Christmas Carol', which of the following is not a feature of the ghost of Jacob Marley's appearance?
- long chain made of cash-boxes, keys, padlocks, ledgers and deeds
- clear, bright jet of light emanating from its head ✓
- wearing a waistcoat, and tights and boots
- transparent body
- folded kerchief bound about its head and chin
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- What do the chains Marley's Ghost carries symbolise in 'A Christmas Carol'?
- poverty and hunger
- ignorance and want
- sin and immorality ✓
- charity and empathy
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- What makes Marley's Ghost different from the other spirits in 'A Christmas Carol'?
- he is kinder and more benevolent to Scrooge
- he does not enlighten Scrooge in any way
- he is a traditional ghost - the spirit of a deceased person ✓
- Scrooge is the most frightened of him
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- Starting with the first, put the following quotations from Marley's Ghost in chronological order of when they appear in 'A Christmas Carol'.
- 1⇔“In life I was your partner, Jacob Marley.”
- 2⇔“I wear the chain I forged in life”
- 3⇔"Is its pattern strange to you?”
- 4⇔"my spirit never roved beyond the narrow limits of our money-changing hole"
- 5⇔“Mankind was my business"
- 6⇔“That is no light part of my penance”
- 7⇔“You will be haunted...by Three Spirits.”
Exit quiz
- Why does Marley's Ghost visit Scrooge in 'A Christmas Carol'?
- because he misses his old friend and business partner
- to offer Scrooge the opportunity to redeem himself ✓
- to give him more money that he didn't leave in his will
- to warn him of his impending visit from the 3 ghosts ✓
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- What is repentance according to the Bible?
- changing your mind about something ✓
- being extremely poor and destitute
- enacting revenge on those who have wronged you
- apologising for doing something wrong
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- Which biblical allusions does Dickens not make through the character of Marley's Ghost in 'A Christmas Carol'?
- Lazarus and the rich man
- Cain and Abel
- Jesus feeding the 5,000 ✓
- Jonah and the whale ✓
- bowels in the New Testament
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- In 'A Christmas Carol', Dickens alludes to the parable of Lazarus and the rich man. Who could be the rich man in the novella?
- Scrooge
- Marley's Ghost ✓
- Bob Cratchit
- the portly gentlemen
- Fezziwig
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- Match the key vocabulary up from 'A Christmas Carol' to its definition.
- repentance⇔expressing sincere regret or remorse for one’s actions ✓
- penance⇔a set of actions or a deed done to repent for one's sins ✓
- biblical allusion⇔when the writer references stories from the Bible ✓
- to reconcile⇔the restoration of a good relationship between two opposing ✓
- parable⇔a story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson ✓
- Complete the following quotation from 'A Christmas Carol': "Why did I walk through crowds of fellow-beings with my eyes turned down, and never raise them to that blessed ______ ..."
- 'Star' ✓
Worksheet
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Marley's Ghost represents the Christian ideas of repentance and redemption.
- Marley expresses regret at his own immoral behaviour: ’and never raise [his eyes] to that blessed Star’.
- The line ’[...] Marley had no bowels’ links these being the seat of compassion, referred to in the New Testament.
- Dickens also uses Marley to allude to the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, showing us the consequences of greed.
- Dickens draws parallels between Marley and Cain to show that Marley’s eternal ‘wandering’ is punishment for his sins.
Common misconception
Students think that Marley's message is only about Christianity and not aimed at everyone.
Marley's Ghost's message is one of morality. When he alludes to biblical parables, he does it to draw attention to their moral lessons.
Keywords
Repentance - Expressing sincere remorse or regret for one's actions.
Penance - Penance is a set of actions or a deed done in repentance for sins committed.
Biblical allusion - A biblical allusion is when the writer draws parallels to, or references stories from the Bible.
To reconcile - The restoration of a good relationship between two opposing people or forces.
Parable - A story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson, told by Jesus Christ in the Gospels.
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