“Oedipus Rex” Mock Trial

The Scenario:

Despite Oedipus’ decree regarding the murderer of King Laius, King Creon and the Theban people have decided to hold a trial to ensure Oedipus really deserves banishment because at the time he did not know he was actually murdering the King of Thebes. Judge Mayfield will preside over the upcoming trial.

The following will be present at the trial for each group:

  • Judge Mayfield
  • Defense attorney, co-counsel, and witnesses
  • Prosecuting attorney, co-counsel, and witnesses
  • the jury (your peers)

Groups Decide:

  • Who will be your witnesses (what characters in the play)?
  • What physical evidence can you produce? Any potentially damaging testimonies?
  • What kind of penalty are you trying for (banishment, house arrest, death, freedom)?

Group Roles:

  • Attorney- Responsible for questioning witnesses and the accused and working with counsel to gather evidence
  • Co-counsel – Responsible for gathering evidence and testimonies and advising attorney
  • Witnesses – Will take on roles of characters in the play and will work with attorney to locate evidence you will verbally give to the jury
  • Jury of your peers - Must be able to recount both the defense and the prosecuting attorneys’ arguments in order to reach a verdict

Guidelines:

  • Each person in your group MUST have a significant role in the trial.
  • Defense and Prosecution may not have the same witnesses (you will have the chance to cross examine)..……meaning, you must speak with members of the opposition to figure out which witnesses you will be putting on the stand. The first thing that you need to decide and discuss with the other group is the names of the witnesses you will be using. Reach a consensus!
  • The courtroom scene MUST demonstrate a thorough understanding of the play from which the characters are drawn. You may deviate slightly from the play (for example, perhaps you locate a piece of evidence not mentioned in the play), as long as your changes are credible.
  • The trial MUST include direct references to the play—for example, have characters give direct quotes that they gave in the book, use descriptions of scenes in the book, etc. (textual evidence!)
  • Creativity counts!! You have the liberty of putting words in the characters’ mouths, but again, everything should be credible (meaning the thought behind the words/actions is clearly found in the play).
  • Each group will have 35 minutes to conduct their court room proceedings.

Individual & Groups Roles in a Trial:

Prosecuting Attorney: Begins the trial. In the complaint, the PA gives the court the reason why the person on trial (Oedipus) is being tried and gives a summary of the crime that was committed. He or she will give evidence of why the defendant is guilty and will introduce witnesses to defend his case.

Defendant: The defendant is the individual on trial. In this trial, the defendant is Oedipus and is represented by the defense attorney.

Defense Attorney: This person will give evidence as to why the defendant is not guilty and will dispute any allegations made by the PA.

Co-counsel: These people assist either the PA or DA. They may question witnesses and even cross examine. They typically do not give opening or closing statements.

The Judge: The judge decides which disputed facts (evidence), may be presented to the jury. In this trial, your teacher will act as the judge.

The Jury: The jury is usually a group of ordinary citizens selected to decide the verdict.

Witnesses: Witnesses must have specific knowledge of what happened in the play and be able to recount specific events and characters to help the jury understand complex evidence.

Order of Proceedings:

  1. Greeting/welcome by judge
  2. Judge gives a brief description of the case.
  3. Prosecution's opening statement [2-3 min]
  4. Defense's opening statement [2-3 min]
  5. Prosecution's 1st witness to witness box, and the judge swears him/her in
  6. Prosecution examination of witness [4-7 min]
  7. Defense cross examination [4-7 min]
  8. Repeat if requested with Prosecution’s second and third witness
  9. Witness steps down
  10. Defense’s 1st witness to witness box, and the judge swears him/her in
  11. Defense examination of witness [4-7 min]
  12. Prosecution cross examination [4-7 min]
  13. Repeat if requested with Defense’s second and third witness
  14. Prosecution closing argument [2-3 min]
  15. Defense closing argument [2-3 min]
  16. Groups leave classroom, jury decides verdict [5 min]
  17. Judge gives sentence