法律英语(第五版)
上QQ阅读APP看本书,新人免费读10天
设备和账号都新为新人

Ⅷ. Case discussion.

Please read the story, and then discuss who should be responsible for the death of Baroness.

The Drawbridge

As he left for a visit to his outlying districts, the jealous Baron warned his pretty wife:“Do not leave the castle while I am gone, or I will punish you severely when I return. ”

But as the hours passed, the young Baroness grew lonely, and despite her husband's warning, decided to visit her lover who lived in the countryside nearby.

The castle was located on an island in a wide, fast flowing river, with a drawbridge linking the island and the narrowest point in the river.

“Surely my husband will not return before dawn, ”she thought, and ordered her servants to lower the drawbridge and leave it down until she returned.

After spending several pleasant hours with her lover, the Baroness returned to the drawbridge, only to find it blocked by a madman wildly waving a long and cruel knife.

“Do not attempt to cross this bridge, Baroness, or I will kill you. ”he raved. Fearing for her life, the Baroness returned to her lover and asked him to help.

“Our relationship is only a romantic one, ”he said, “I will not help. ”The Baroness then sought out a boatman on the river, explained her plight to him, and asked him to take her across the river in his boat.

“I will do it, but only if you can pay me fee of five Marks. ”

“But I have no money with me! ”the Baroness protested.

“That is too bad. No money, no ride. ”the boatman said flatly.

Her fear growing, the Baroness ran crying to the home of a friend, and after again explaining the situation, begged for enough money to pay the boatman his fee.

“If you had not disobeyed your husband, this would not have happened, ”the friend said. “I will give you no money. ”

With dawn approaching and her last resource exhausted, the Baroness returned to the bridge in desperation, attempted to cross to the castle, and was slain by the madman.

In the story above, there are six characters. They are(in alphabetical order):

The Baron________

The Friend________

The Baroness________

The Lover________

The Boatman________

The Madman________

Using the list above, rank the characters(from 1 to 6)in the order of their responsibility for the death of the Baroness.