Chapter 56 (Volume 3, Chapter 17) (Instalment 34):

He is tried and sentenced

Synopsis of Chapter 56 (Volume 3, Chapter 17) (Instalment 34)

Magwitch is resigned about his injuries and his fate. Pip visits him each day and notices a decline in his health; he also notices signs that Magwitch thinks he would have been a better man if he had had better luck in his early life. Mr. Jaggers tries to get the trial postponed, knowing that Magwitch will not live long, but this is refused. In court, Pip is allowed to sit near Magwitch and hold his hand. Magwitch is found guilty and condemned to death.

Pip hopes that Magwitch will die before his execution, but busies himself with working for a reprieve. He continues his daily visits to Magwitch and tells him that his much-loved daughter is alive, and is a beautiful woman, whom Pip loves. Magwitch dies a happy man.

Watch Chapter 56

Accompanying teaching resources

Great Expectations chapter 56 by Charles Dickens

Commentary on Chapter 56 (Volume 3, Chapter 17) (Instalment 34)

But, he was ever ready to listen to me … what I knew he ought to hear While Magwitch is dying Pip instructs him in Christian belief and uses the Bible as something other than a weapon used to terrify people into silence or agreement (See Ch. 40; Vol. 2,Ch. 1).

A smile crossed his face then … as when I was a little child Pip is reminded of his innocent and instinctive pity for the convict, even at their first terrifying meeting

‘My Lord … but I bow to yours' Magwitch interrupts the Judge, but his dignity and resignation to the will of God contrast strongly with the voyeuristic onlookers.

In this unreasonable … where I had left the petitions Pip recognises that at this stage he is to some extent deranged.

‘Thank'ee, dear boy, thank'ee. God bless you! …'I had once meant to desert him Pip still feels some guilt towards Magwitch: see Ch. 41; Vol. 2, Ch. 2.

Mindful then of what we had read together … ‘…

be merciful to him, a sinner!' The ‘Temple' here refers to the one in Jerusalem: see Luke 18:10-13. One of the two men thanks God he is not a sinner like other men, and smugly reminds God of his virtues; the other knows he is a sinner, bows his head and asks for God's pardon. Pip knows that this reading does not just refer to Magwitch also but also to himself: once he was like the proud man; now he knows he is a sinner.

Investigating Chapter 56 (Volume 3, Chapter 17) (Instalment 34)

How does Dickens go about creating the scene in the courtroom?
What are the differences between the official view of Magwitch and what the reader knows of his character and history?
How does Pip behave during the trial?
- How does it compare with his earlier attitude towards Magwitch?

English Standard Version
King James Version

¹And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. ²He said, In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. ³And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, Give me justice against my adversary. ⁴For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, Though I neither fear God nor respect man, ⁵yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming. ⁶And the Lord said, Hear what the unrighteous judge says. ⁷And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? ⁸I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth? ⁹He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: ¹⁰Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. ¹²I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get. ¹³But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me, a sinner! ¹⁴I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted. ¹⁵Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. ¹⁶But Jesus called them to him, saying, Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. ¹⁷Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it. ¹⁸And a ruler asked him, Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? ¹⁹And Jesus said to him, Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. ²⁰You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother. ²¹And he said, All these I have kept from my youth. ²²When Jesus heard this, he said to him, One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me. ²³But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. ²⁴Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. ²⁶Those who heard it said, Then who can be saved? ²⁷But he said, What is impossible with man is possible with God. ²⁸And Peter said, See, we have left our homes and followed you. ²⁹And he said to them, Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, ³⁰who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life. ³¹And taking the twelve, he said to them, See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. ³²For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. ³³And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise. ³⁴But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said. ³⁵As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. ³⁶And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. ³⁷They told him, Jesus of Nazareth is passing by. ³⁸And he cried out, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! ³⁹And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, Son of David, have mercy on me! ⁴⁰And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, ⁴¹What do you want me to do for you? He said, Lord, let me recover my sight. ⁴²And Jesus said to him, Recover your sight; your faith has made you well. ⁴³And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

¹And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; ²Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: ³And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. ⁴And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; ⁵Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. ⁶And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. ⁷And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? ⁸I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? ⁹And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: ¹⁰Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. ¹¹The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. ¹²I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. ¹³And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. ¹⁴I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. ¹⁵And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them. ¹⁶But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. ¹⁷Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein. ¹⁸And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? ¹⁹And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. ²⁰Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother. ²¹And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up. ²²Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. ²³And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich. ²⁴And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! ²⁵For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. ²⁶And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved? ²⁷And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. ²⁸Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee. ²⁹And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, ³⁰Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting. ³¹Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. ³²For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: ³³And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. ³⁴And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken. ³⁵And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging: ³⁶And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. ³⁷And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. ³⁸And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. ³⁹And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou son of David, have mercy on me. ⁴⁰And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him, ⁴¹Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. ⁴²And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee. ⁴³And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.

Related material

Scan and go

Scan on your mobile for direct link.

Great Expectations Contents

Chapter 56 (Volume 3, Chapter 17) (Instalment 34):

Synopsis of Chapter 56 (Volume 3, Chapter 17) (Instalment 34)

Commentary on Chapter 56 (Volume 3, Chapter 17) (Instalment 34)

Recently Viewed

Related material

Scan and go