[0:01]Order in the Court! The trial of Tom Robinson is now in session, with Judge John Taylor presiding. Mr Heck Tate is on the witness stand, about to testify. He was the first to attend the scene of Mayella Yule's alleged rape. Tom, the accused, is now on trial for his life.
[0:27]Heck describes Mayella's injuries when he came to the house. Beaten on the right side of her face, bruises all over her neck and arms. She was in bad shape. When Atticus presses him, Heck admits that no one called a doctor to tend to her. Don't you think that's weird? Why didn't they call a doctor? Surely it was worth the $5 medical fee if Mayella had been raped? Next on the stand is Bob Yule, Mayella's father. He swears he heard Mayella screaming inside the house, and when he ran to the window, saw Tom on top of her. He even stands up, points at Tom and uses the N-word to make his point. Hey team, just a reminder, if you like this video, please hit the subscribe button and ring the notification bell. It really helps the channel out and our next upload could be on something taught in your next class. Thanks, and back to the video. It takes Judge Taylor five long minutes to calm the court down. He gives Bob Yule a stern warning about his disgusting language. Under questioning from Atticus, Bob Yule reveals that he's left-handed. Since Mayella was beaten up on the right side of her face, is there a chance that he did it, not Tom? Let's hear it from Mayella, shall we? Through her tears, she swears that Tom choked her, beat her and raped her. Heavy. But from Scout's point of view, Mayella doesn't look like an innocent, traumatized victim. She looks more like a stealthy cat with a twitchy tail. When Atticus questions her, he is patient and polite. But Mayella soon becomes hostile. Atticus doesn't back down though. His client is on trial for his life. He has Tom stand up so that Mayella can identify him as her attacker. As Tom stands, the whole courtroom can see the problem with the Yule's testimony. Tom has a physical disability. His left arm was crushed in machinery when he was young. He's right-handed. Atticus easily picks apart Mayella's version of events, which now seem like a mountain of lies. In fact, it seems far more likely that her own father beat her, not Tom Robinson. Mayella responds by yelling at the court and bursting into angry tears. She then refuses to answer any more questions. It seems Atticus has touched a nerve. Mayella and Bob now look like racist, dysfunctional perjurers. Will this be enough to save Tom Robinson? Another pressing question is why the Yules brought this accusation in the first place. It's time we heard Tom Robinson's side of things. According to Tom, Mayella was always getting Tom to do little favors for her around the house. He did them for free because he felt sorry for her. Scout observes him closely and reckons he's telling the truth. Tom reveals that on the day in question, Mayella was the one who grabbed him. She so desperately wanted Tom to kiss her that she blocked the doorway. What's worse, her father saw it happen. He even threatened to kill her for it. What a terrible situation for Tom. No wonder he fled the Yule Shack. Now it's his word against theirs. Mr Gilmer, the prosecuting lawyer, grills Tom Robinson and speaks down to him. He tries to make him look like a liar, but Tom's answers are steady and consistent. Dill can't take it anymore and starts to sob loudly. Scout takes him out for a breather. Outside, under a big oak tree, Dill expresses his feelings about the injustice of it all. Scout tries to explain that it's normal for Mr. Gilmer to treat Tom Robinson that way, until Mr. Dolphus Raymond steps in. He says Dill's right to be upset. Mr Dolphus Raymond's an interesting guy. He lives with African-American people on the land he owns. He prefers their company to white people's. Knowing that folks in Maycomb would find this hard to understand, he acts drunk all the time. But his whiskey bottle in the little brown sack, it's just Coca-Cola.
[5:45]He gives Dill a sip to calm his nerves. Scout and Dill return to the courtroom balcony. Atticus is making his final speech to the jury. Jem thinks it's a done deal. Atticus will win. For starters, there was no physical evidence of rape. Then you have the Yules testimony, which has more holes in it than Swiss cheese. Tom's was by far the more believable version of events. Not to mention the fact that Bob Yule most likely bashed his own daughter. Mayella only accused Tom because she felt guilty and ashamed for breaking an unwritten law. She kissed a black man. Obviously, Atticus's entire speech is much more eloquent than that, but you get the idea. When the jury leave to deliberate, Jem is especially confident. But the jury is out for hours. Surely the decision isn't that difficult. By 11 o'clock at night, Scout struggles to remain awake. Dill is out cold on Jem's shoulder. When the jury finally file back in, Scout can tell from their body language what their verdict is. When Judge Taylor reads it out, he confirms the worst. Guilty! Guilty! Guilty! The jury have condemned Tom Robinson. As Atticus leaves the courtroom, everyone in the balcony stands for him out of respect.
