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''Three Act Tragedy'' is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie first published in the United States by Dodd, Mead and Company in 1934 under the title ''Murder in Three Acts''〔John Cooper and B. A. Pyke. ''Detective Fiction – the collector's guide'' (Scholar Press, new edition 1994; ISBN 0-85967-991-8), pp. 82, 86〕〔(''American Tribute to Agatha Christie'' )〕 and in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in January 1935 under Christie's original title.〔Chris Peers, Ralph Spurrier and Jamie Sturgeon, ''Collins Crime Club – A checklist of First Editions'' (Dragonby Press, ed. of March 1999), p. 15〕 The US edition retailed at $2.00〔 and the UK edition at seven shillings and sixpence (7/6).〔 The book features Hercule Poirot, supported by his friend Mr Satterthwaite, and is the one book in which Satterthwaite collaborates with Poirot. Satterthwaite previously appeared in the stories featuring Harley Quin, in particular those collected in ''The Mysterious Mr Quin'' (1930). The novel was adapted for television twice, first in 1986 titled Murder in Three Acts, and again in 2010 as ''Three Act Tragedy''. ==Plot summary== A dinner party is thrown by theatre actor Sir Charles Cartwright at his home in Cornwall. His guests include Dr. Bartholomew Strange, Lady Mary and her daughter Hermione Lytton Gore (but called Egg), Captain Dacres and his wife Cynthia, Emily Wills, Oliver Manders, Mr Satterthwaite and the Reverend and Mrs. Babbington. Cartwright mixes cocktails, which are passed to guests by a serving girl with a tray. After sipping one of the cocktails, Reverend Babbington collapses and dies. Cartwright is convinced it was murder. Investigation of the glass shows no poison, and the death is ruled natural causes at the inquest. Cartwright is so upset that he informs Poirot he intends to retire to Monte Carlo. In his home in Yorkshire, Dr Strange hosts a party with many of the same guests at the party in Cornwall, though missing Sir Charles and Poirot. Oliver Manders arrives in an unusual way, as his motorcycle breaks down in front of the manor. Dr Strange has a new, temporary butler named Ellis, who reports that a new patient has arrived at the sanatorium, Mrs D. After dinner, Ellis serves port to all the guests, after which Dr Strange dies. Though no poison is found in his glass, the coroner determines that he died of nicotine poisoning. Given the similarities, Babbington's body is exhumed, revealing that he too died of nicotine poisoning. Poirot learns of Dr Strange's death from Sir Charles in Monte Carlo. The two return to England, where they investigate the deaths. The serving maid at Dr. Strange's manor notes that Dr. Strange gave his usual butler a two-month vacation about two weeks before his death and brought on Ellis, now disappeared from the house. She said Ellis seemed to know a butler's duties, although he went about them in a strange way. In Ellis' room, Cartwright finds hidden papers suggesting that Ellis was blackmailing Dr. Strange. In London, Emily Wills reports that she noticed something unusual at the Yorkshire dinner. She observed that Ellis had a birthmark on his right hand. Poirot then receives a telegram from Mrs. D at Dr. Strange's sanatorium. When Poirot arrives in Yorkshire, he finds that Mrs. D is murdered by nicotine poison hidden in chocolates sent to her anonymously. Returning to Cornwall, Poirot stops Miss Milray before she can destroy chemical equipment hidden in an abandoned building near the vicarage. Poirot assembles everyone for the denouement. He reveals that Sir Charles Cartwright, his old friend, murdered Babbington, Dr. Strange, and Mrs. D. Sir Charles wanted to marry Egg, but could not do so because he had a wife that he married many years ago, who is now in an insane asylum. Under British law, Cartwright could not divorce his wife. Cartwright would not kill his wife in the asylum. But he would murder the only person who knew about his wife, his childhood friend Dr. Strange. In the American version, this is changed with Sir Charles' new motive being to prevent Dr. Strange from committing him to an asylum for his growing megalomania. Cartwright used his party in Cornwall as a dress rehearsal for the murder of Dr. Strange. His wanted to test his success at switching the glass with the poison, with a glass untouched, all under the nose of Poirot. He ensured that Dr. Strange would not drink the poison at the first party because he knew his old friend did not drink cocktails. He ensured Egg did not drink the poison by handing her a glass. The rest of the cocktails were put on a tray to be distributed. It did not matter to Cartwright who died. The lack of motive to kill Babbington had confused Poirot. Sir Charles convinced Dr. Strange to let him play the role of the butler, Ellis. Sir Charles was in Monte Carlo the day after Strange was killed, which he hoped would be his alibi. He also planted the blackmail note from Ellis during the search of his rooms. When Emily Wills spoke up, Sir Charles was prepared to kill her, too. Poirot saw the risk and hid her. Sir Charles killed Mrs. D. because otherwise she would have told Poirot that she had not sent that telegram. Miss Milray was secretly in love with her long-time employer, and thus ready to destroy the equipment Sir Charles used to distill the nicotine poison. Sir Charles Cartwright is arrested and Egg is with Oliver. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Three Act Tragedy」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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