Jack Stapleton is one of Doyle's most effective villains, and his plan is a great source of debate. He uses a legend, a trained hound, phosphorus, and a false identity to try to inherit the Baskerville estate. Was it a clever scheme or a risky gamble? That question gives students something to argue.

Argumentative essay prompts on the novel work well because the text provides a body of evidence to weigh. Students can point to the parts of the plan that worked, such as Sir Charles's death, and the parts that failed, such as relying on his wife's cooperation. The essays are a chance to practice building a claim, supporting it, and answering an opposing view.

The grading challenge is distinguishing argument from opinion. Students often write what they feel about the villain rather than what the text supports. A rubric helps you keep that boundary clear.

The approach below keeps argument essays fair and consistent. It starts with prompts that have real debate in them and ends with a workable way to grade at volume. Each step is designed to be quick enough for a full class set.

Prompt Ideas With Real Debate

Good prompts give students a position to take and evidence to consult on both sides. They should not have an obvious answer. Try questions about the plan's strengths, about what finally exposed Stapleton, or about how far Beryl was a victim or a participant.

• Was Stapleton's plan more clever or more careless? Defend your position with specific events.
• Who bears more responsibility for Stapleton's near success, his cunning or the characters' willingness to believe the legend?
• Could Holmes have prevented Sir Charles's death, and what does the novel suggest about the limits of detection?
• Is Beryl Stapleton a victim, an accomplice, or both? Support your claim with evidence.
• Was Holmes right to use Sir Henry as bait, and what does the choice reveal about his priorities?

Rubric Priorities for Argument

Score the claim, the evidence, the reasoning, and the treatment of the counterargument. Give the counterargument its own row so students know it is required. Reward students who present the strongest opposing view rather than a weak one they can easily knock down.

Watch for emotional language that stands in for reasoning. A student who calls Stapleton "evil" and stops has not made an argument. A comment such as "what specific choices make his plan clever or reckless?" moves the writing toward evidence.

Keeping It Fair When Opinions Differ

Some students will pick a position you would not choose. Grade the argument they built, not the one you would have built. Making that explicit in the rubric helps students trust the process and take intellectual risks.

For debatable calls such as the ethics of Holmes using Sir Henry as bait, students may have strong feelings. Encourage them to ground those feelings in the text. The best essays tend to come from students who let the evidence surprise them.

Grading Argument Essays Efficiently

Argument essays are among the most time-intensive to grade because you have to follow the reasoning. Rubric-aligned AI feedback such as GraideMind's can map the essay against your criteria, noting where a claim lacks support or a counterargument is missing. That gives you a starting point instead of a blank page.

Use the summary to organize your conferences. Students who skipped the counterargument need one conversation, and students who lacked evidence need another. Grouping them saves time and makes the feedback feel purposeful.