Part 1 - Marley’s ghost | English Literature - A Christmas Carol

Suitable for teaching 9-11s. The first part of an abridgment of Charles Dickens’ classic Christmas ghost story told in nine episodes. It’s Christmas Eve and for Ebenezer Scrooge everything is ’humbug’. Reluctantly he closes his counting-house and heads home where he’s met by several ghostly signs. Subscribe for more English Literature clips from BBC Teach on Friday when we have them in: If you found this video helpful, give it a like. Share it with someone. Add the video to your own teaching playlists. Create an account, subscribe to the channel and create playlists for different age groups, sets and syllabuses. Follow us on Twitter: ===================== Synopsis: It’s Christmas Eve and seven years since Ebenezer Scrooge’s business partner Jacob Marley died. The weather is cold and biting. Scrooge is in his ’counting-house’ with one eye on his clerk, Bob Cratchit. Scrooge’s nephew, Fred, enters and invites his uncle to Christmas dinner the following day, as he does every year. Scrooge declines the invitation and, in doing so, attacks the whole festivity of the time of year. Fred leaves, determined to keep his ’Christmas humour’. Then two gentlemen enter. They are raising money for homeless people at Christmas and inquire what they can put Scrooge ’down for’? He rebuffs them with the suggestion that those unable to provide for themselves should be housed in prisons or workhouses - both of which he has already contributed to through payment of taxes. The bell strikes and it’s time to ’shut up shop’. Scrooge reluctantly agrees that Cratchit may have Christmas Day as holiday, then makes his way home to his dark and dingy home. When he arrives at his door he is shocked to see the face of Jacob Marley in his door knocker. He passes hesitantly through his chambers searching for any other ghostly signs. He assures himself that all is well, but just as he turns in for the night, he hears a clanking sound down in the basement and then coming up the stairs. Scrooge tries to persuade himself it is all ’humbug’ - until an apparition walks through the door. It is the ghost of Jacob Marley. This clip is from the BBC School Radio series A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. The classic Christmas ghost story of Ebenezer Scrooge and his haunting by three spirits is read by Alan Smith in an abridgment that is faithful to the original text. For our A Christmas Carol playlist: For our Primary English Literature playlist: For our Primary Drama playlist: For more resources from BBC School Radio: ===================== Teaching English Literature or Drama? You can find all the supporting resources for A Christmas Carol by visiting This clip is suitable for teaching the Key Stage 2/2nd Level English and Drama curriculum. ===================== For more clips from other subjects at the BBC Teach YouTube channel: More resources for teachers from the BBC: More from BBC Learning Zone: More resources from BBC Bitesize: ===================== Subscribe to create your own customised playlists, and get notified about our latest clips. As we have them, new videos will be uploaded on the following days: Mondays: Biology, Computer Science, Music, Religious Studies Tuesdays: Drama and Performance, English Language, Maths, Physical Education Wednesdays: Languages, Media Studies, Modern Studies and PSHE, Physics Thursdays: Art and Design, Chemistry, Geography, History Fridays: Business Studies, Design and Technology, English Literature, Early Years