The Case for the Defence
Encyclopedia
The Case for the Defence is a well-written thriller by Graham Greene
, a famous English novelist, which deals with a strange murder
trial. The defendant, guilty of murder of a woman and having four eye-witnesses to testify against him is thought of standing no chance of acquittal
. Yet, a twist in the story renders the jurymen helpless and they have to acquit him for lack of evidence. In the end, he or his twin brother meets with a horrible death, having been crushed under a bus. The readers are left to conclude about the dead person's identity as well as the nature of divine justice
.
Murder Case'; there are five witness
es to that brutal murder. Gradually, the murder case is introduced in the court where one Adams brother stands in the box while another Adams, identical in looks takes his seat at the back. The sitting Adams is with his wife. The witnesses are called to share their memories of the murder night and one after the other they do. The last witness, Mrs. Salmon, also the prime person in the story identifies the man standing before her as the murderer; but soon as she is pointed to look at the Adams at the back, she is confused. There is a dilemma hanging in the air as to who is the real murderer. The Adams standing in the box thereby is acquitted as lack of evidence takes over. But later on, justice overpowers the plot of the Adams. While going out of the court, one of the Adams brothers is hit by a speeding bus, his skull being exactly hammered just as the way Mrs.Parker's had been.And, the other brother cries over his dead brother's body. The real murderer is still unknown to the reader. So , all we can deduce from this story is the concept of divine justice - may be under the influence of some plan or idea, a criminal could escape; but since the devil gets his due, so did he.
Graham Greene
Henry Graham Greene, OM, CH was an English author, playwright and literary critic. His works explore the ambivalent moral and political issues of the modern world...
, a famous English novelist, which deals with a strange murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
trial. The defendant, guilty of murder of a woman and having four eye-witnesses to testify against him is thought of standing no chance of acquittal
Acquittal
In the common law tradition, an acquittal formally certifies the accused is free from the charge of an offense, as far as the criminal law is concerned. This is so even where the prosecution is abandoned nolle prosequi...
. Yet, a twist in the story renders the jurymen helpless and they have to acquit him for lack of evidence. In the end, he or his twin brother meets with a horrible death, having been crushed under a bus. The readers are left to conclude about the dead person's identity as well as the nature of divine justice
Divine Judgment
Divine judgment means the judgment of God or other supreme beings within a religion. The concept is prominent in Abrahamic religions, most significantly in the Last judgment.-Objective and subjective judgment:...
.
Plot
In this story, a man named Adams murders an old lady; the murder case is named as the 'PeckhamPeckham
Peckham is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Southwark. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
Murder Case'; there are five witness
Witness
A witness is someone who has firsthand knowledge about an event, or in the criminal justice systems usually a crime, through his or her senses and can help certify important considerations about the crime or event. A witness who has seen the event first hand is known as an eyewitness...
es to that brutal murder. Gradually, the murder case is introduced in the court where one Adams brother stands in the box while another Adams, identical in looks takes his seat at the back. The sitting Adams is with his wife. The witnesses are called to share their memories of the murder night and one after the other they do. The last witness, Mrs. Salmon, also the prime person in the story identifies the man standing before her as the murderer; but soon as she is pointed to look at the Adams at the back, she is confused. There is a dilemma hanging in the air as to who is the real murderer. The Adams standing in the box thereby is acquitted as lack of evidence takes over. But later on, justice overpowers the plot of the Adams. While going out of the court, one of the Adams brothers is hit by a speeding bus, his skull being exactly hammered just as the way Mrs.Parker's had been.And, the other brother cries over his dead brother's body. The real murderer is still unknown to the reader. So , all we can deduce from this story is the concept of divine justice - may be under the influence of some plan or idea, a criminal could escape; but since the devil gets his due, so did he.