Irene Adler

Irene Adler is a woman of considerable accomplishment and independence, trained as an actress and fluent in languages and the arts. She is introduced as the subject of a sensitive matter involving a prominent European royal personage, but proves far more complex than her circumstances initially suggest. She maintains residency at Briony Lodge in London with her new husband, Godfrey Norton, a man of law and standing whom she loves genuinely. Her past involvement with a king has placed her in a precarious position, as he seeks to recover a compromising photograph that might damage his position. Rather than submit to coercion or allow herself to be victimised, Irene employs her considerable intellect and theatrical training to anticipate Sherlock Holmes' strategies and secure her own safety. She recognises Sherlock Holmes' investigative methods, having been warned of his involvement, and uses her knowledge of disguise and rapid action to counter his plans. Her letter to Sherlock Holmes reveals a woman of wit and self-awareness who values honesty and principle; she leaves England with her husband to escape the threat posed by the The King of Bohemia, but not before securing her future through intelligence and foresight. Irene Adler represents a rare instance in Sherlock Holmes' experience of an adversary whose mental faculties match or exceed his own, and whose moral clarity proves unshakeable.