Dr. Watson is Sherlock Holmes’ biographer and friend, appearing in over 93% of Conan Doyle’s works. He contrasts Holmes’ scientific approach with his romanticism and is willing to accompany him into danger. He has been played by various actors in adaptations of the Sherlock Holmes stories.
Doctor Watson is the brother of fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, created by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. John H. Watson, like Conan Doyle, was a physician. Dr. Watson shared lodgings with Holmes in Baker Street, accompanied him on many of his cases and recorded them, acting as Holmes’ biographer. Dr. Watson has been married, apparently twice, but his domestic life, in fact, anything of his life outside of the drawing room and the adventures of Holmes is not very important in this context.
Dr. Watson appears in over 93% of all works created by Conan Doyle that featured Holmes, so the relationship between the two men is crucial in elucidating both story and character. While he is not dim-witted, Dr. Watson is somewhat romantic and serves as a contrast to Holmes’ scientific and objective approach. Given a hero who is, at times, a bit unheimlich, readers can connect with the warm and sincere Dr. Watson and, through him, with Holmes.
Dr. Watson is willing to accompany Holmes into danger, and even to risk a bit of burglary or other morally questionable act in order to obtain justice. His medical knowledge is sometimes used, and his remarks, while often misdirected from Holmes’ point of view, nevertheless serve to draw Holmes’ attention to key points that help him work toward a solution. In return, Holmes is fiercely loyal to Dr. Watson, even though he rarely expresses it, and sometimes resorts to tricking Watson into setting up a scene in which the truth will be revealed.
Dr. Watson has been played by a number of actors, as the Sherlock Holmes mysteries have enduring popularity. Those who have played Watson include Nigel Bruce, with Basil Rathbone as Holmes, in the 1940s, Martyn Green, best known for his roles in Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, in 1953, Edward Hardwicke who played Holmes as Jeremy Brett in the 1980s, as well as Robert Duvall, Dudley Moore, John Mills, Ben Kingsley and Ian Hart.
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