Markheim
Encyclopedia
"Markheim" is a short story by Robert Louis Stevenson
first published in a magazine in 1884, then republished in 1885 in The Broken Shaft: Tales of Mid-Ocean. The story was later published in Stevenson's collection The Merry Men and Other Tales and Fables
(1887).
Markheim spends some minutes recovering his nerve, when he hears someone moving about upstairs, though he knows the servant has taken the day off and no one should be there. He reassures himself that the outer door is locked, then searches the dead body for keys and goes to the upper rooms where the dealer lived to look for money. As he searches, he hears footsteps on the stairs, and a man opens the door and asks, "Did you call me?"
Markheim believes the stranger is the Devil
. Though he never identifies himself, the stranger is clearly supernatural; he says that he has watched Markheim his whole life. He tells Markheim that the servant has left her friends early and is returning to the store, so Markheim had best hurry. Rather than continue looting, however, Markheim tries to justify his life and conduct to the stranger, entering into a discussion of the nature of good and evil. The stranger refutes him on every point, and Markheim is at last obliged to admit that he has thrown his life away and turned to evil. The servant returns, and as she knocks on the door the stranger advises Markheim that he can entice her in by telling her that her master is hurt, then kill her and have the whole night to ransack the house. Markheim retorts that if he has lost the love of good, he still hates evil, and can still do one worthwhile thing by ending his life. At the end of the conversation when he refuses to kill the maid and continue ransacking the house, the face of the stranger undergoes a "wonderful and lovely change", full of "tender triumph", and the stranger disappears. Markheim opens the door and tells the servant, "You had better go for the police; I have killed your master."
which greatly affected him and, although the story draws on the themes and plot of Dostoyevsky's work, Harman believes the piece to be wholly original in that Stevenson incorporates an element of the supernatural in the story. Like much of Stevenson's other work, the story shows Stevenson's preoccupation with the nature of duality.
starred as Markheim and Rod Steiger
portrayed the Stranger.
An episode of the 1950s radio drama
The Hall of Fantasy was also devoted to the story of Markheim.
Carlisle Floyd adapted the story into a one-act opera as a vehicle for Norman Treigle
; it was premiered in 1966.
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer. His best-known books include Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde....
first published in a magazine in 1884, then republished in 1885 in The Broken Shaft: Tales of Mid-Ocean. The story was later published in Stevenson's collection The Merry Men and Other Tales and Fables
The Merry Men and Other Tales and Fables
The Merry Men and Other Tales and Fables is a collection of short stories by Robert Louis Stevenson.-Contents:* "The Merry Men"* "Will O' the Mill"* "Markheim"* "Thrawn Janet"* "Olalla"* "The Treasure of Franchard"-External links:*...
(1887).
Plot summary
The story opens in an antique store, with Markheim wishing to buy a Christmas present for a woman he will soon marry. The dealer presents him with a mirror but Markheim takes fright at his own reflection, claiming that no man wants to see what a mirror shows him. Markheim is strangely reluctant to end the transaction, but when the dealer insists that Markheim must buy or leave, Markheim consents to stop tarrying and review more goods. The dealer turns his back to replace the mirror, and Markheim pulls out a knife and stabs him to death.Markheim spends some minutes recovering his nerve, when he hears someone moving about upstairs, though he knows the servant has taken the day off and no one should be there. He reassures himself that the outer door is locked, then searches the dead body for keys and goes to the upper rooms where the dealer lived to look for money. As he searches, he hears footsteps on the stairs, and a man opens the door and asks, "Did you call me?"
Markheim believes the stranger is the Devil
Devil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
. Though he never identifies himself, the stranger is clearly supernatural; he says that he has watched Markheim his whole life. He tells Markheim that the servant has left her friends early and is returning to the store, so Markheim had best hurry. Rather than continue looting, however, Markheim tries to justify his life and conduct to the stranger, entering into a discussion of the nature of good and evil. The stranger refutes him on every point, and Markheim is at last obliged to admit that he has thrown his life away and turned to evil. The servant returns, and as she knocks on the door the stranger advises Markheim that he can entice her in by telling her that her master is hurt, then kill her and have the whole night to ransack the house. Markheim retorts that if he has lost the love of good, he still hates evil, and can still do one worthwhile thing by ending his life. At the end of the conversation when he refuses to kill the maid and continue ransacking the house, the face of the stranger undergoes a "wonderful and lovely change", full of "tender triumph", and the stranger disappears. Markheim opens the door and tells the servant, "You had better go for the police; I have killed your master."
Analysis
The creature in the story could either be an agent of the devil or Markheim's own conscience, writes Stevenson biographer Claire Harmon. In 1884 Stevenson likely read Dostoyevsky's Crime and PunishmentCrime and Punishment
Crime and Punishment is a novel by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky. It was first published in the literary journal The Russian Messenger in twelve monthly installments during 1866. It was later published in a single volume. This is the second of Dostoyevsky's full-length novels following his...
which greatly affected him and, although the story draws on the themes and plot of Dostoyevsky's work, Harman believes the piece to be wholly original in that Stevenson incorporates an element of the supernatural in the story. Like much of Stevenson's other work, the story shows Stevenson's preoccupation with the nature of duality.
Dramatizations
The story was dramatized for television as an episode of the anthology series Screen Directors' Playhouse. Ray MillandRay Milland
Ray Milland was a Welsh actor and director. His screen career ran from 1929 to 1985, and he is best remembered for his Academy Award–winning portrayal of an alcoholic writer in The Lost Weekend , a sophisticated leading man opposite a corrupt John Wayne in Reap the Wild Wind , the murder-plotting...
starred as Markheim and Rod Steiger
Rod Steiger
Rodney Stephen "Rod" Steiger was an Academy Award-winning American actor known for his performances in such films as On the Waterfront, The Big Knife, Oklahoma!, The Harder They Fall, Across the Bridge, The Pawnbroker, Doctor Zhivago, In the Heat of the Night, and Waterloo as well as the...
portrayed the Stranger.
An episode of the 1950s radio drama
Radio drama
Radio drama is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance, broadcast on radio or published on audio media, such as tape or CD. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine the characters and story...
The Hall of Fantasy was also devoted to the story of Markheim.
Carlisle Floyd adapted the story into a one-act opera as a vehicle for Norman Treigle
Norman Treigle
Norman Treigle was an American operatic bass-baritone, who was acclaimed for his great abilities as a singing-actor, and specialized in roles that evoked villainy and terror....
; it was premiered in 1966.
Sources
- Harman, Claire. Myself and the Other Fellow: A Life of Robert Louis Stevenson. HarperCollins (2005): New York. ISBN 0-06-620984-6