Machinal

by

Sophie Treadwell

The Lawyer for Prosecution Character Analysis

The lawyer who cross-examines Helen when she’s on trial for murder. The Lawyer for Prosecution easily unearths the flaws in Helen’s story about the night George died, ultimately triumphing by producing a signed deposition he procured from Mr. Roe. By bringing this piece of paper to the court’s attention, he elicits an adverse emotional reaction from Helen, who suddenly confesses that she killed her husband.
Get the entire Machinal LitChart as a printable PDF.
Machinal PDF

The Lawyer for Prosecution Character Timeline in Machinal

The timeline below shows where the character The Lawyer for Prosecution appears in Machinal. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Episode 8: The Law
Communication Theme Icon
Fragmentation and Expressionism Theme Icon
...she decided to call the police. Satisfied, the Lawyer for Defense sits down and lets the Lawyer for Prosecution take over. “The accused woman told a straightforward story of—” writes one reporter. “The accused... (full context)
Marriage and Gender Inequality Theme Icon
Communication Theme Icon
The Lawyer for Prosecution begins by confirming that Helen did nothing when she saw the two intruders appear over... (full context)
Marriage and Gender Inequality Theme Icon
The Lawyer for Prosecution hounds Helen with questions, asking why she didn’t call a doctor. Producing a broken bottleneck,... (full context)
Fragmentation and Expressionism Theme Icon
...saying she didn’t own any gloves at the time of George’s death. At this point, the lawyer for the prosecution produces a pair of rubber gloves found in her home, along with the nightgown she... (full context)
Fragmentation and Expressionism Theme Icon
...this bowl into your bedroom filled with small stones and some water and a lily,” the Lawyer for Prosecution asks Helen. He then tells a story about Helen taking home this lily and caring... (full context)
Marriage and Gender Inequality Theme Icon
Cutting to the chase, the Lawyer for Prosecution introduces an affidavit signed by Mr. Roe. Though the Lawyer for Defense objects, the judge... (full context)
Marriage and Gender Inequality Theme Icon
Communication Theme Icon
The Mechanical World Theme Icon
Suddenly, Helen breaks into a yell, pleading, “No! No!” When the Lawyer for Prosecution asks her what’s wrong, she asks him to stop reading. “Why not!” he asks. “I... (full context)