# The Final Problem explained — The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

> Chapter companion for The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle.

## What happens

Holmes reveals the existence of Professor Moriarty, the 'Napoleon of crime,' and explains the deadly intellectual duel between them. After a narrow escape from Moriarty's assassination attempt, Holmes and Watson flee to the Continent, but the chase ends tragically at the Reichenbach Falls, where Holmes apparently perishes in a final struggle with his nemesis.

## Themes in this chapter

### The Battle of Wits

Holmes and Moriarty engage in a silent, high-stakes intellectual duel, each anticipating the other's moves.

### Crime and Justice

Holmes dedicates himself to bringing Moriarty's criminal organization to justice, culminating in a final confrontation.

### Secrecy and Deception

Moriarty operates from the shadows, and Holmes uses disguise and evasion to escape his network.

## Character check-ins

### Sherlock Holmes

Reveals Moriarty's criminal network, describes their intellectual duel, and flees to the Continent; meets his apparent end at Reichenbach Falls.

### Dr. Watson

Accompanies Holmes on the Continent; recounts the final events and Holmes's disappearance.

### Professor Moriarty

Introduced as Holmes's arch-nemesis; a mathematical genius turned criminal mastermind; confronts Holmes at Baker Street and later pursues him to Switzerland.

### Peter Steiler

Landlord of the Englischer Hof in Meiringen; sends a letter to Watson to lure him away from the falls.

## Key lines

> He is the Napoleon of crime, Watson. He is the organizer of half that is evil and of nearly all that is undetected in this great city.

Holdes describes Moriarty as the mastermind behind most of London's unsolved crimes.

_Holmes's characterization of Moriarty as the central criminal organizer._

> I tell you, my friend, that if a detailed account of that silent contest could be written, it would take its place as the most brilliant bit of thrust-and-parry work in the history of detection.

Holmes boasts that the secret struggle between him and Moriarty is the greatest detective work ever.

_Holmes reflects on the intellectual battle with Moriarty._

> The shaft into which the river hurls itself is an immense chasm, lined by glistening coal-black rock, and narrowing into a creaming, boiling pit of incalculable depth...

The Reichenbach Falls is a deep, roaring chasm where the river plunges into a dark abyss.

_Watson's vivid description of the Reichenbach Falls setting._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_memoirs_of_sherlock_holmes_se/chapters/the-final-problem
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_memoirs_of_sherlock_holmes_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_memoirs_of_sherlock_holmes_se/chapters