Irony in And Then There Were None

rebeccacasey

For many of you that are on this website, I am  pretty sure that you have read this book. After reading it, i have realized how much irony which has been set in this book. At the beginning it begins with the poem. The last person to be killed is "hung". After looking back at the poem when Christie gave the character's description one character stood out to be the killer, Justice Wargrave. Many of you may wonder why I think this. Wargrave was known as the "hanging judge" but it was never himself in which he wanted to be charged with crime. He never had a real motive to hang every person he did. Also, Emily Brent was charged with the death of Beatrice Taylor, with irony in mind, she was "stung by a bee." Is this coincidence or not?

Ellesse

Definitely no coincidence.  I like your mention of Wargrave as "the hanging judge".  Creepy.  This novel is one of the creepiest of hers in my memory: maybe the most so.  Unlike all of her other novels, there is no "hope", at the end.  There is no "good guy" or happy ending.  Makes my skin crawl.

Tommy_A_Jones

There is only really 2 people the Murderer could be because of their Occupation or temperement

Miranda

But if I remember rightly, didn't she use a good bit of misdirection in making it look like the doctor was the red herring death?

Tommy_A_Jones

What do you mean?

Miranda

Because they find the judge dead and then the doctor who proclaimed him dead, disappears?