Session 5

A murder takes Viktor Frankenstein back to his hometown in the latest episode of our dramatisation of Mary Shelley's famous novel. And it's also time to find out what you've learnt about comparatives and superlatives from Unit 13 in our weekly quiz.

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Activity 1

Drama

Frankenstein: Episode 3 - Death in the family 

Frankenstein: Episode 3

"I'm scientist Viktor Frankenstein and I'm back in my hometown, Geneva. A murder and a trial brought me back... Was this woman guilty of murder?"

What examples of present perfect with 'yet', 'just' and 'already' can you spot in this episode?

The answers are shown in bold on the transcript below the audio.

Listen to the audio and try the activity

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TODAY - IN THE ARCTIC

Viktor Frankenstein
Hello, I'm scientist Viktor Frankenstein – well, I used to be a scientist but I came to hate everything about my job. I was back in the town where I was born, Geneva, after six years at university in Germany. I was brought back by bad news in my father's letter. I found him, and my sweet Elizabeth, very upset. My young brother William had been killed! How? By whom? The police were there too.

IN THE PAST - AT THE FRANKENSTEIN FAMILY HOME

Policeman
We're doing everything we can to find who killed your son, Mr Alphonse Frankenstein.

Viktor Frankenstein's Father
Thank you, detective.

Policeman
Miss Elizabeth, we're sorry about what happened to the boy: we know you're very close to the family.

Elizabeth
Yes.

Policeman
The marks of the killer's fingers that we found on the boy's neck were still fresh. The body was in the woods.

Elizabeth
That's horrible!

Viktor Frankenstein's Father
Calm down, my dear Elizabeth. Sir, we were having a family day out and my son William disappeared.

Policeman
Very unfortunate, Mr Frankenstein. But we've just arrested a suspect.

Viktor Frankenstein's Father
A suspect?! Who killed my boy?

Policeman
Well, we found a valuable locket with the boy's mother's picture in the pocket of one of the nanny's dresses.

Elizabeth
Justine?! It's not possible!

Policeman
I'm sorry, Miss Elizabeth. Justine hasn't explained yet how it got there! Was it stolen?

Elizabeth
But I know she's innocent!

Viktor Frankenstein's Father
Elizabeth my dear, I want to believe that she's innocent, but what about the locket?

Elizabeth
Everyone believes Justine is guilty. I don't. She loved William very much.

TODAY - IN THE ARCTIC 

Viktor Frankenstein
Yes, everyone believed Justine had killed William - everyone except Elizabeth and I. Why? Because I knew who the murderer was. On my journey back to Geneva, I saw a very large figure run over the hills and disappear. It was the Creature! It was the murderer! And now, what would happen to poor Justine? She went to trial.

IN THE PAST - IN THE COURTROOM

Prosecutor
Justine, you were out the whole night in which the child was killed, weren't you?

Justine
I've already told the police and everybody else. I paid a visit to my auntie in the village. On my way back I heard people talking about a boy who went missing. It was William. I spent hours looking for him.

Prosecutor
A woman from the market saw you near the place where the child's body was found. What were you doing there?

Justine
I didn't know I was near the place.

Prosecutor
The woman asked you what you were doing there. She said you sounded confused.

Justine
Yes. I was tired and worried about William.

Prosecutor
You went back to the Frankenstein family home in the morning and asked to be told any news about the boy.

Justine
Yes! I've just told you, I was worried about him!

Prosecutor
Or maybe you felt guilty... When shown the body you started to scream!

Justine
Yes. It was horrible! Horrible!

Prosecutor
And you stayed in your bed for several days. That's when someone found this: the boy's locket with a picture of his mother - yes, this very locket - in your dress pocket. How do you explain that?

Justine
I... I... I can't explain!

TODAY - IN THE ARCTIC

Viktor Frankenstein
Poor Justine! But I knew the monster had done something to make her look guilty... Our family was very rich and powerful. The crime was shocking. They had to find someone to blame quickly...

IN THE PAST - IN THE COURTROOM 

Judge
Silence! For the murder of the child William Frankenstein on May, the 7th, I sentence Justine Moritz to death!

TODAY - IN THE ARCTIC

Viktor Frankenstein
Justine was innocent but she was executed anyway. I felt that I was guilty of two deaths because I had created the monster! I couldn't eat. I couldn't sleep. So I decided to take long walks in the mountains. That's when I had an unexpected meeting. I'm going to tell you all about it next time.

Download

You can download the Drama from our Unit 13 downloads page or from our BBC Learning English Drama podcast page.

Vocabulary

upset
sad and angry 

suspect
someone who is believed to be responsible for a crime

locket
a type of necklace with a part that opens and has a picture inside

nanny
a person who works in a house to take care of the children 

innocent
describes someone who is not responsible for a crime

guilty
describes someone who is responsible for a crime

murderer
someone who kills a person by choice

sentence
punishment for a crime, given by a judge 

executed
killed as a punishment for a crime, by order of a judge

To do

Now check what you know about the drama with this three-question quiz.

Frankenstein Quiz

3 Questions

What have you learnt about Frankenstein in our Drama? Test yourself in this quiz.

Congratulations you completed the Quiz
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So, a boy and a young woman are dead. Viktor Frankenstein feels guilty because he thinks he knows who was responsible for their deaths. Will he find the Creature? Will there be another death? Find out in episode 4.

Credits

Story adapted and produced by Graciela Damiano

Cast: Peter Kenny, Nick Cavell, Sophie Napleton, Simon Haynes, Neil Edgeller, Alice Brown, Paul Scott

Illustration: Carolina Thwaites-Lastra

English Language Teaching consultant: Nicola Prentis

Studio Manager: Philip Bull

Next

Now it's time for the Weekly Quiz. It's a chance to test what you've learned about comparatives and superlatives. Don't feel guilty if you get any of them wrong!

Session Vocabulary

  • upset
    sad and angry

    suspect
    someone who is believed to be responsible for a crime

    locket
    a type of necklace with a part that opens and has a picture inside

    nanny
    a person who works in a house to take care of the children

    innocent
    describes someone who is not responsible for a crime

    guilty
    describes someone who is responsible for a crime

    murderer
    someone who kills a person by choice

    sentence
    punishment for a crime, given by a judge

    executed
    killed as a punishment for a crime, by order of a judge