Character Relationship Map: Evil Under the Sun

Characters

• Hercule Poirot (played by Peter Ustinov) — protagonist

  Brilliant Belgian detective whose methodical investigations uncover hidden motives and killers.

• Myra Gardener (played by Sylvia Miles) — supporting

  A member of the Gardener circle whose relationships contribute to the resort's tensions.

• Rex Brewster (played by Roddy McDowall) — supporting

  A resort guest whose connection to the victim places him within Poirot's inquiry.

• Daphne Castle (played by Maggie Smith) — supporting

  A resort figure whose connections place her within the network of suspects and witnesses.

• Patrick Redfern (played by Nicholas Clay) — antagonist

  A charming guest whose secret motives and relationship with the victim complicate the case.

• Arlena Stuart Marshall (played by Diana Rigg) — antagonist

  A flirtatious and disliked woman whose murder exposes the resort's concealed resentments.

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Rex Brewster → Arlena Stuart Marshall (Professional Biographer And Subject) — Their professional conflict gives Rex a stated grievance against Arlena.

  Rex Brewster has spent his advance royalties on Arlena's tell-all biography, but she refuses to approve it for release.

• Myra Gardener → Arlena Stuart Marshall (Professional Former Employer And Dispute) — Arlena's professional decisions create financial pressure for Myra.

  The theatrical producers Odell and Myra Gardener suffer financially because Arlena left their major show and refuses another role.

• Hercule Poirot → Daphne Castle (Professional Associate) — Daphne assists Poirot's investigation and acknowledges its outcome.

  Daphne Castle confirms part of Sir Horace's alibi and later informs Poirot that the Kingdom of Tyrania will reward him for solving the case.

• Hercule Poirot → Rex Brewster (Professional Investigator And Witness) — Rex provides a clue that supports Poirot's reconstruction.

  Rex Brewster reports that a bottle thrown from a cliff nearly hit him. Poirot incorporates this detail into his explanation of how the false suntan ev...

• Hercule Poirot → Myra Gardener (Professional Investigator And Witness) — Poirot relies on Myra's observations while testing the suspects' alibis.

  Myra Gardener is present when Patrick claims to discover Arlena's body. Poirot uses her account of the beach scene when reconstructing the staged murd...

• Patrick Redfern → Arlena Stuart Marshall (Romantic Secret Lover) — Their illicit affair becomes the immediate context for the murder.

  Arlena goes to Ladder Bay for an assignation with Patrick Redfern. The plot states that Patrick later strangles her and places her body on the beach.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Myra Gardener → Rex Brewster (Social Shared Professional Circle) — They belong to the same theatrical and publishing social environment.

  Myra is identified as a theatrical producer while Rex is writing a biography about Arlena's career. Both are connected to the disputes surrounding Arl...

• Patrick Redfern → Myra Gardener (Social Deceptive Acquaintance) — Patrick uses Myra's presence to support the staged version of events.

  Patrick arrives at Ladder Bay by powerboat with Myra and calls out to her that Arlena has been strangled. Poirot later explains that this apparent dis...

• Hercule Poirot → Patrick Redfern (Conflict Detective And Suspect) — Their relationship develops from interrogation to direct confrontation.

  Hercule Poirot assembles the suspects and accuses Patrick Redfern and his wife of murdering Arlena. He later exposes Patrick through the distinctive s...

• Daphne Castle → Arlena Stuart Marshall (Conflict Moral Opponent) — Daphne condemns Arlena's behavior and supplies investigative information.

  Daphne Castle is horrified by how Arlena treats her husband and stepdaughter. She also reveals that Arlena arranged for Patrick to be on the island.

• Hercule Poirot → Arlena Stuart Marshall (Narrative Investigator And Victim) — Poirot investigates the circumstances surrounding Arlena's death.

  Hercule Poirot travels to the island to investigate the disputed diamond connected to Arlena Stuart Marshall. After her death, he leads the murder inv...

Story Analysis

Hercule Poirot uncovers a staged murder and a diamond conspiracy beneath the social tensions of an island resort.

Plot Progression

1. The Diamond's False Trail — Poirot is asked to examine a valuable diamond and identifies it as fake. The investigation takes him to an island resort where Arlena and the other guests are gathered.
2. Tensions at the Island Resort — Arlena's romantic and professional disputes create hostility among the guests. Poirot observes the connections and grievances surrounding her.
3. Murder at Ladder Bay — Arlena travels to Ladder Bay for a secret meeting with Patrick. Her apparent strangulation transforms the holiday into a murder investigation.
4. The Alibis Unravel — Poirot studies the guests' timelines, the grotto, the bottle, and the water pressure. Each physical clue weakens the apparently secure alibis.
5. The Diamond Exposes the Killer — Poirot accuses Patrick and reconstructs the staged discovery. Patrick's signature and the real diamond hidden in his pipe provide the decisive proof, leading to his arrest.