Brothers Karamazov Book XII Chapter I

In which the court assembles with a charged air, as the trial of Dmitri Karamazov commences amidst a crowd aflame with curiosity, divided in loyalties, and stirred by the presence of famed counsel and a stern panel of jurymen drawn from humble lives. The prisoner’s bold declarations and impassioned demeanour set the tone, while the somber ritual of witness examination begins beneath the austere gaze of judges and public alike.