The Hound of the Baskervilles Speech

Since the existence of crime, there have been numerous individuals devoted to solving even the most heinous of crimes. These detectives use any methods at their disposable to catch the culprit and put him behind bars. However, with time these methods have changed, as have many things, but whether or not the change is completely beneficial still remains debatable. This transformation in criminal investigations can be seen clearly through two fictitious characters, Sherlock Holmes and Adrian Monk. In the 1800s, when the world renowned Sherlock Holmes “existed”, detectives relied heavily on their intuition and physical evidence, as well as the stories of eye witnesses and people closest to the victim. Nowadays, the police who investigate crime rely heavily on technologically advanced methods such as genetic testing on blood samples. Sherlock Holmes is a prime example of the typical detective techniques used during the era in which he lived. Throughout each novel, like The Hound of the Baskervilles, Holmes uses his senses to observe clues revolving around the murder, and ultimately solve them. He relies entirely on his wit, his only aid were other humans and his partner Dr. Watson. In modern day investigations it is no longer considered acceptable to rely solely on one’s intellect, there must be forensic evidence to back it up. Adrian Monk, from the T.V. series Monk, is the quintessential example of a modern day detective. He uses his wit to determine a suspect with the aid of his partner Natalie Teager. However this trail he follows based upon his observations is not acted upon until evidence such as DNA or fingerprints is discovered. Detective techniques have greatly shifted from pure observation to evidence and observation. This change is beneficial since it is very hard to falsely accuse someone of a crime when there is forensic evidence. The art of solving crime had been solely based upon the sharp minds of the detective, but gradually shifted to a