Summary A prisoner is put on trial for conspiring against Britain, giving strategic military information to the Colonists in America. The Jury is pressured to find the prisoner guilty “…and make an end of him, whether they liked it or not” (69). The bloodthirsty, crowded people of the courtroom are likened to “blue-flies”, hoping to see the prisoner put to death. The Patriot (John Barsad) is cross-examined by the court for seemingly minute details about his life, “Ever been kicked? Might have been. Frequently? No. Ever kicked down the stairs?” (70). Mr. Lorry and Lucie Manette identify the prisoner as someone who assisted them with Dr. Manette after the rescue at the wine shop. Dr. Manette is called to the stand, but is unable to give any relevant information due to his chronic memory loss. The prisoner’s defendant, Mr. Stryver, makes a brilliant defense for his client, arguing that the 1) Patriot and Servant are in a confederacy against Barsad 2) Darnay’s appearance could be mistaken for another man during the carriage ride, even in the courtroom a man closely resembles Darnay (Carton) 3) The George Washington comment was outrageous 4) The prosecution is essentially putting words in witnesses’ mouths. The prisoner is acquitted, but not before Lucie Manette nearly passes out.

Literary Devices Metaphor: “…a buzz arose in the court as if a cloud of great blue-flies were swarming about the prisoner, in anticipation of what he was soon to become” (69). ~ The crowd is compared to buzzing flies, swarming and anticipating an execution and a dead body. Their hunger for this event is unmistakable.  Simile: “…Mr. Stryver fitted the prisoner’s case on the jury, like a compact suit of clothes…” ~ Comparison using the words “like” or “as”; in this case, Stryver is using specific language and weaving the case a certain way in order to sway the jury.  Symbolism: The prisoner’s case is like a suit, with the jury a body being fitted for the suit. Many examples of this are seen, and the suit is even worn out after awhile, just as the case is thrown back and forth between prosecution and defense. ~ Stryver fits the suit for the jury, with the Attorney General turning the suit inside out. ~ The suit is then “trimmed” and “shap[ed]” into “graveclothes” for the prisoner (79).