READ:  Ryunusuke Akutagawa’s “In a Grove” (You can Google it)

—–Write a 800-word speech addressing the jurors to whom you explain how you have proven, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Masago, Takehiro, or Tajomaru has killed the samurai husband, based on evidence, confessions and testimonies.

—–In your closing statement, you may use what the defendant has said about himself//herself, what the other suspects have said about the defendant, and what the minor characters, the Woodcutter, the Buddhist Priest, the Policeman, and the Old Woman, have said about the defendants  You can assume these minor characters are telling the truth because they have no reason to lie. The unusual suspects, however, all lie to some extent because they do have an agenda. You job as a prosecuting attorney is to point out when and why. 

—–You may use first and second person pronouns because you are talking as the lawyer (I) to the jurors (you).

—–You may refer to witnesses you’ve had on the stand earlier in the trial.

—–You may refer to physical evidence you have previously introduced and entered.

—–You may also re-introduce Exhibit A, Exhibit B, etc.

—–You may not include detail unless it is specifically mentioned in the short story.

—–You may change verb tenses because you are talking about Takehiro’s murder or suicide (past tense) and what the jury should think about and believe (present tense) 

—–You do not need a creative, pertinent title this time. Your title is simply the title of this assignment sheet. 

REMEMBER…….

*****You need to remember that this is a speech, something meant to be heard and watched, not an essay for your English class.. You are addressing a group of twelve men and women who vary in age, race, and socio-economic status. By the way, you won’t be delivering this speech, just writing it.

*****Prosecutors, this is a good opportunity to use logos, ethos, and pathos. You might even sway your jury with some parallel structure and rhetorical questioning.

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