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Brooklyn
Language Arts Teacher
Language Arts 8
03/16/16
After we completed the novel And Then There Were None, by Agatha Christie, we were
asked to write an essay explaining whether or not we believed Justice Wargrave, the homicide
killer, was justified for taking to law into his own hands.
Justice Lawrence Wargrave is Not Justified for Murder
A vigilante is a person who takes the law into their own hands, often leading to an
innocent person becoming harmed or threatened. Vigilantes often act for the greater good,
without abiding by the law. In the novel, And Then There Were None, by Agatha Christie, letters
signed by an unknown U.N. Owen are received by nine victims, each letter consisting of an
invitation to visit his/ her so-called summer home on August 8th. After all guests arrive at the
home, a series of phenomenal murders begin to occur, leaving all ten bodies (including the
murderer himself) dead within a few days of their arrival. After Vera Claythorne, Owens
secretary commits suicide by hanging herself, the murderer, who was thought to be dead,
comes out of hiding to complete the unsolvable mystery. U.N. Owens invitation resulted in ten
dead corpses and an unsolvable murder scene.
A similar trait was shared by all of the victims; they all were a part of a murder case that
could not be touched by the law. Each one was let off the hook and pronounced innocent.
Wargrave invited everyone he was positively sure was guilty, but had no solid evidence to

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convict them. Justice Lawrence Wargrave, the homicide killer, believed justice should be served
to all who have done something wrongeven if the law cannot prove him or her guilty. Justice
Wargrave is not justified for his actions, as murder is still murder, and ten people lost their lives
in that short week. Justice Lawrence Wargrave is not justified because the law gives every
criminal a fair and equal trial, and God, the King of all, demands we are to love their enemies, no
matter what they have done; for every person is a sinner.
One reason Wargrave is not justified is because he took the law into his own hands, after
a fair trial had found all of the characters innocent. All citizens of the United States are to be
equally treated by the law, and no person can override that. Even the president of the country
must abide by the legal laws. All people who have committed a crime are to go through a process
to determine their guilt or innocence. It is also true that all people are innocent until proven
guilty, all with an equal right to a court trial. According to Document C, The penalty shall be
capital punishment for a judge or arbiter legally appointed who has been found guilty of
receiving a bribe for giving a decision. Putting to death of any man who has not been
convicted, whosoever he might be is forbidden. This is saying that the judge has sworn an oath
to convict each person equally according to law; therefore, no person is to be let off of the hook
if he really should be guilty. Judge Wargrave was the one who sentenced Seton. Inspector Maine
said, By the way, Seton was guiltyunmistakably guilty. Evidence turned up later after he was
hanged which proved that beyond any shadow of guilt. But there was a good deal of comment at
the timenine people out of ten thought Seton was innocent and that the judges summing up had
been vindictive (275-276). Seton was given a fair trial, even though evidence turned up later,
the judge had made the correct call on innocence. Seton was served justice by death. All of the
characters in the novel were given a trial before traveling to Soldier Island and with no

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convicting evidence, they were determined innocent. Owen wanted to serve them what they
rightfully deserved, but just like everyone else, they each received a fair trial. The judge
determined them innocent based on the only evidence they held at the time. Owen had no right
killing them on Soldier Island. There can only be so much solid evidence, and if everyone is
under a fair trial, the law has done their job to serve everyone the justice they deserve. But after
the fair trial, it is no ones right to take the law into their own hands and commit a crime their
self.
Another reason murder is not justified is because it goes against Gods commandment.
Document A states, If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners
love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that
to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you respect repayment, what
credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your
enemies, do well to them, and lend to them without expecting anything to get anything back.
Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to
the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. This verse is saying that
it is easy to love someone who does good deeds to you, but the real challenge comes in showing
Gods love to people who have sinned against you. God says that in order to please Him, love
your enemy as yourself. Also, 1 John 3:4 says that every person who disobeys the law in any way
is a sinner. Therefore, whether you tell a little lie or kill ten people including yourself, you are
still a sinner in Gods eyes. It is said that the people who serve God and obey His
commandments will in turn receive a spot in His heavenly Kingdom. Justice Wargrave may have
thought he was doing it for a common or greater good, but in reality, he was only digging a larger
and deeper hole for himself. His method was like the domino effect. After one falls, they just

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keep falling. After Wargrave made the choice to kill one person, he couldnt stop; he had to
complete his mission. Nine others were taken off of the face of the earth in those few days
because of this one man and his thirst for justice. Wargrave turned murder into a big game. They
were all brought to Soldier Island. All of the murders corresponded with the Soldier Island poem
that was mounted in the rooms of the mansion. Also, there were the little toy figures, and one by
one they disappeared along with the real humans themselves. Justice Wargrave only disobeyed
the law even more by trying to act for the greater good, and do them justice. As God tells us, we
are to love our enemies as ourselves, rather than to condemn them. Justice Lawrence Wargrave is
not justified because he went against what Gods law states and disobeyed more laws in the
process.
No matter what is believed, if not proven guilty in trial, no person is justified to kill
others on their own reasoning and opinion after the person has gone through a fair trial in court.
Justice Wargrave wanted justice to all who deserved it, but by killing nine others, along with
himself, what good came out of it? The characters were not given a chance to repent; for
everyone is a sinner and Wargrave only made it worse for himself. No one is justified for murder
because the law and court allows every criminal a fair and equal trial. Wargrave chose the path
that only leads to more pain and suffering, though God rewards those who love their enemies and
dont choose murder as their option. Just like other vigilantes, who feel they have the authorities
to override the law, Wargrave went to the extent of killing many men and women based on his
own assumptions. A person cannot take the law into their own hands and take on all personas of
police, judge, and jury.