At first glance, there is little in ‘‘The Witness for the Prosecution’’ that cries out for a stage adaptation. The story is largely about plot, strategy, and perception. It has very little in the way of dramatic action, save for one scene—and even that is severely abridged, lessening its impact. When comparing the original to…
Tag: Agatha Christie
The Witness for the Prosecution by Agatha Christie – Setting
Great Britain Between the World Wars Christie published her first works in the years shortly after World War I. This period was one of relative peace and prosperity in Great Britain, since the country was not directly affected by warfare in the same way as many other European countries. However, the horrors of war most…
The Witness for the Prosecution by Agatha Christie – Literary Devices
Mystery Fiction and the Whodunit Like most of Christie’s stories, ‘‘The Witness for the Prosecution’’ is best described as a mystery. Mystery fiction usually centers on a crime or transgression that has been committed, with the bulk of the plot devoted to determining who is responsible for the crime. This type of story is also…
The Witness for the Prosecution by Agatha Christie – Themes
Deception Deception is the key element in the interactions between nearly every major character in the story. From the start, Vole lies to Mayherne about being guilty of the crime; he only acknowledges pieces of the truth when confronted by witnesses or hard evidence to the contrary. For his part, Mayherne tells Vole that he…
The Witness for the Prosecution by Agatha Christie – Characters
Emily French Emily French is a wealthy, elderly woman who, despite her riches, lives and dresses simply enough that a stranger might mistake her for a poor person. She develops a relationship with Leonard Vole, who begins visiting her at her home in Cricklewood. He assists her with some financial investments, and she subsequently changes…
The Witness for the Prosecution by Agatha Christie – Summary
‘‘The Witness for the Prosecution’’ begins with a conversation between Mr. Mayherne, a lawyer who often catches himself mindlessly cleaning his spectacles, and his client Leonard Vole, a thirty-three-year-old man who is accused of murder. Mayherne stresses to his client the gravity of the situation in which he finds himself; the younger man seems dazed,…