The Trial of the Knave of Hearts

The chaotic trial of the Knave of Hearts for stealing tarts exposes the absurdity of Wonderland's justice system, culminating in Alice's confrontation with the Queen.

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Convening the Court

The Court Assembles A Grand Procession The King and Queen of Hearts sit on their throne, surrounded by a crowd of birds, beasts, and the entire pack of cards. The Knave stands in chains, guarded by soldiers. The White Rabbit, acting as herald, holds a trumpet and a scroll of parchment. A large dish of tarts sits on a central table, tempting Alice, who is now present. She observes the courtroom with a mixture of familiarity and bewilderment, recognizing the judge (the King) and the jury-box (filled with twelve creatures). The Reading of the Accusation The White Rabbit blows three blasts on the trumpet and unrolls the parchment, reading the accusation: "The Queen of Hearts, she made some tarts, All on a summer day: The Knave of Hearts, he stole those tarts, And took them quite away!" The King instructs the jury to consider their verdict, but the White Rabbit interrupts, insisting there is more evidence to come. The first witness, the Hatter, is called.

The Hatter's Testimony

A Teacup in Court The Hatter's Nervousness The Hatter enters, still holding a teacup and a piece of bread-and-butter. He explains he was in the middle of tea when summoned. The King asks when he began his tea, and the Hatter replies, "Fourteenth of March," while the March Hare and Dormouse, who accompany him, suggest the fifteenth and sixteenth. The jury writes down all three dates. The Hatter's nervousness intensifies when the Queen stares at him, reading a list of singers from a past concert. He stammers about the twinkling of the tea and the bread-and-butter getting thin. The King's Cross-Examination The King demands the Hatter give evidence or face execution. The Hatter rambles about the March Hare's comments and the Dormouse's remarks, but the King grows impatient. The Hatter, overwhelmed, drops his teacup and kneels, claiming he is a poor man. The King dismisses him as a poor speaker, and the Hatter hastily leaves, barely escaping the Queen's order to have his head taken off outside. The next witness, the Cook, is called.

The Cook's Refusal

Pepper and Silence The Cook's Defiance The Cook enters, carrying a pepper-box that makes everyone near the door sneeze. The King asks her to give evidence, but she replies simply, "Shan't." The King, flustered, turns to the White Rabbit, who advises him to cross-examine her. The King asks what the tarts are made of, and the Cook answers, "Pepper, mostly." A sleepy voice from the back says "Treacle," which the Queen identifies as the Dormouse, who is promptly suppressed and removed from court. The Cook's Disappearance Amid the confusion, the Cook disappears. The King, relieved, calls for the next witness. The White Rabbit, fumbling over the list, announces the name "Alice" at the top of his voice. Alice, who has been growing larger throughout the trial, steps forward to testify.

Alice's Evidence

Alice Takes the Stand Upsetting the Jury-Box Upon hearing her name, Alice jumps up so hastily that she tips over the jury-box, spilling all the jurymen onto the crowd below. She apologizes and frantically picks them up, but mistakenly places the Lizard, Bill, head downwards. The King insists the trial cannot proceed until all jurymen are in their proper places. Alice corrects her mistake, and the jury, though shaken, begins writing a history of the accident on their slates. The King's Interrogation The King asks Alice what she knows about the tarts. She says "Nothing," which the King declares important, but the White Rabbit corrects him to "unimportant." The King reads Rule Forty-Two, which states that anyone more than a mile high must leave the court. Alice, now nearly two miles high, refuses to leave, arguing that the rule is not a regular one and was invented just then. The King turns pale and shuts his notebook, urging the jury to consider their verdict.

The Verses and the Verdict

A Mysterious Letter The Knave's Verses The White Rabbit produces a new piece of evidence—a set of verses written by the Knave to somebody. The King interprets them as a confession, but the Knave denies writing them. The White Rabbit reads the verses aloud, which are a confusing jumble of pronouns and non sequiturs. Alice dismisses them as meaningless, offering sixpence to anyone who can explain them. The jury writes down her statement. The King's Interpretation The King tries to find meaning in the verses, pointing to lines about tarts and swimming, but his reasoning is circular. When the Queen demands "Sentence first—verdict afterwards," Alice loudly protests, calling it "Stuff and nonsense!" The Queen, furious, orders Alice's beheading, but Alice, now at her full height, defies the entire court, declaring, "You're nothing but a pack of cards!" The cards rise up and fly at her, and Alice wakes up on the riverbank, ending the dream.

near the end of the story, at the Queen of Hearts' Court

early in the trial, at the court

after the Hatter, during the trial

mid-trial, after the Cook

late in the trial, near the climax