“This was my doing and my doing alone.”
Why it's great
Repeating my doing piles the whole blame on the speaker and leaves no room to share it.
Register
Neutral
Use it yourself
The broken vase was my doing and my doing alone.
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00:00 / 02:44
Sidney Promises Nothing Will Go Wrong, Explained
Deathtrap · 1982
Chapter 17 of 30 · 2'44"
After the killing, Myra admits she was both terrified and hopeful, and Sidney answers with a promise: "This was my doing and my doing alone." The scene turns guilt into intimacy, ending on her question, "That murder is an aphrodisiac?" Their marriage is now built on a shared secret.
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 1:07–2:05
❝ Monologue · 6 lines Sidney Takes All the Blame
57s - 2:10–2:42
Is Murder an Aphrodisiac?
32s
Sidney Promises Nothing Will Go Wrong, explained
What happens
Alone after the murder, Sidney and Myra have a drink. Myra confesses that part of her wanted Sidney to go through with it, even as she was afraid he would. Sidney refuses to let her share the blame, promises nothing will go wrong, and asks her to believe in him. She does.
What's really going on
The scene is the real consummation of the murder plot, and it happens over a drink. Myra's confession, that a part of her hoped Sidney would act, takes the pressure off him and puts them on the same side: 'This was my doing and my doing alone' becomes an act of protection, not honesty. He promises that nothing will go wrong and asks her to trust him, and she answers, 'I believe you.' What they have built is a marriage with a corpse in it, and the scene lets them speak that aloud as intimacy. The line about murder being an aphrodisiac is the joke that seals it.
Key lines & what they mean
- “This was my doing and my doing alone.”
- Sidney takes the crime entirely on himself, both to protect Myra and to keep control of the story.
- “But nothing will go wrong. I promise you.”
- His reassurance is a cover-up promise: the plan will hold, and she only has to keep trusting him.
- “That's hardly surprising, everything considered.”
- A dry line about the door being unlocked, taking in the whole night and treating the obvious as obvious.
- “That murder is an aphrodisiac?”
- The question that ends the scene, naming the dangerous pull between the crime and their closeness.
Theme
- Trust — Sidney asks Myra to believe in him and she agrees, turning the crime into a bond between them.
- Guilt — Myra confesses she partly wanted it, and Sidney absorbs all the blame to keep her from sharing it.
What this chapter teaches
Teaching points
Review right after watchingMy level3/6
A1–C2 is the CEFR scale. Cards above the level you pick fade, and playback will not auto-pause on them.
Language points
Click a card to jump to its moment in the videoGolden lines
A great line in its own right — why and how to use it“But nothing will go wrong. I promise you.”
Why it's great
A flat promise first, a personal guarantee second; it ends the argument fast.
Register
Neutral
Use it yourself
Nothing will go wrong in the interview. I promise you.
“That's hardly surprising, everything considered.”
Why it's great
It excuses the absurdity in one calm breath, which is pure Sidney.
Register
Neutral
Use it yourself
She cried at the speech, hardly surprising everything considered.
“That murder is an aphrodisiac?”
Why it's great
Pairing murder with desire in one question makes the absurd line impossible to forget.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
Danger seems to be the real aphrodisiac for him.
Monologue
One character carrying the scene — shadow the whole passage❝ Myra's confession
Part of me tonight .... Sidney. Some terrible, unknown part of me .... Oh, God. ...was hoping that you would do it. At the same time that I was terrified that you would... Part of me was really hoping.
The broken, halting sentences strip her shame and desire bare, and the listener cannot look away.
Up next · 18for future referenceThe scene: The Fake Murder Kills MyraTakeaways
What you walk away with- Taking all the blame is a way to end a partner's doubt.
- Go wrong names the failure without naming the person.
- Big laughs after terror often mean the fear has nowhere to go.
- Sidney's promise closes the subject more than it comforts.
People also search
Questions, then the linesWhat does Myra confess to Sidney?
That part of her hoped he would go through with the murder, even while another part was terrified he would. She is admitting she is not innocent in her heart.
Why does Sidney insist the killing was his doing alone?
He wants to take the blame off Myra and keep her close and quiet. Framing it as his alone also keeps him in control of the cover-up.
Does Myra believe Sidney's promise?
She says, 'I believe you.' Whether she means it is left open, but the scene ends with the two of them going upstairs together.
What does Myra mean by calling murder an aphrodisiac?
She is asking whether the danger and guilt of what they did have drawn them closer. It turns the horror of the night into a strange kind of intimacy.