Justice Wargrave Character Analysis in And Then There Were None

A recently retired Judge who quickly re-assumes this role on the island, holding impromptu "court cases" after nearly every murder. He is obsessed with justice, and also with death, as he reveals at the end of the novel through a letter placed in a bottle and put in the ocean. Since he was a child he has taken great pleasure from the idea of death, and even killed animals, but he was also pained by the idea of killing anyone who was innocent. When he realized that he was going to die he decided to finally commit the perfect murder – by killing people who had murdered themselves yet were beyond the reach of the law.

Justice Wargrave Quotes in And Then There Were None

The And Then There Were None quotes below are all either spoken by Justice Wargrave or refer to Justice Wargrave. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Definitely Soldiers Island was news!

Related Characters: (speaker)

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Page Number and Citation: 2

Explanation and Analysis:

“Oh, yes. I've no doubt in my own mind that we have been invited here by a madman – probably a dangerous homicidal lunatic.”

Related Characters: (speaker)

Page Number and Citation: 61

Explanation and Analysis:

“Whoever it was who enticed us here, that person knows or has taken the trouble to find out a good deal about us all”

Related Characters: (speaker)

Page Number and Citation: 63-64

Explanation and Analysis:

“I mean – it explains Soldier Island. There are crimes that cannot be brought home to their perpetrators. Instance the Rogerses'. Another instance, old Wargrave, who committed his murder strictly within the law.”

Related Characters: (speaker), , ,

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Page Number and Citation: 114

Explanation and Analysis:

“The damned fool, he believed every word I said to him. It was easy … I must be careful, though, very careful.”

Related Characters: (speaker),

Page Number and Citation: 195

Explanation and Analysis:

“One more of us acquitted – too late!”

Related Characters: (speaker)

Page Number and Citation: 202

Explanation and Analysis:

“But don't you see, he's mad? It's all mad! The whole thing of going by the rhyme is mad! Dressing up the judge, killing Rogers when he was chopping sticks – drugging Mrs. Roberts so that she overslept herself – arranging for a bumble bee when Miss Brent died! It's like some horrible child playing a game. It's all got to fit in.”

Related Characters: (speaker), , ,

Page Number and Citation: 248

Explanation and Analysis:

I was born with other traits besides my romantic fancy. I have a definite sadistic delight in seeing or causing death.

Related Characters: (speaker)

Page Number and Citation: 285

Explanation and Analysis:

I have wanted – let me admit frankly – to commit a murder myself. I recognized this as the desire of the artist to express himself! I was, or could me, an artist in crime! My imagination, sternly checked by the exigencies of my profession, waxed secretly to colossal force.

Related Characters: (speaker)

Page Number and Citation: 287

Explanation and Analysis:

When the sea goes down, there will come from the mainland boats and men.

And they will find ten dead bodies and an unsolved problem on Soldier Island.

Related Characters: (speaker)

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Page Number and Citation: 300

Explanation and Analysis:

Justice Wargrave Character Timeline in And Then There Were None

The timeline below shows where the character Justice Wargrave appears in And Then There Were None. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Justice Wargrave reads the paper on a first class train and starts thinking about his destination: Soldier... (full context)

Justice Wargrave takes a letter out of his pocket. It is his invitation to Soldier Island from... (full context)

...where he feels he can leave the whole world behind. Dr. Armstrong runs into Justice Wargrave on the terrace and remembers how he has had to testify for some of Wargrave's... (full context)

Wargrave also remembers Armstrong and thinks he is, like all doctors, a damn fool. Wargrave tells... (full context)

Everyone feels better and starts to enjoy themselves after dinner. Wargrave is amusing, Mr. Blore (pretending to be Davis) discusses South Africa; Mr. Lombard continues to... (full context)

...and a thud as Mrs. Rogers faints. Everyone starts frantically asking what happened and only Wargrave and Miss Brent seem unmoved. (full context)

Wargrave looks around the room and opens a door where he finds a gramophone on a... (full context)

Wargrave asks Rogers if he put the record on. Mr. Rogers tells them that he was... (full context)

Wargrave then takes charge and the room becomes a court of law. Everyone tries to pool... (full context)

Wargrave then turns to Mr. Blore and says that his given name, Davis, was not mentioned... (full context)

Wargrave agrees, and points out that the initials given U. N. Owen can be easily turned... (full context)

Wargrave continues the impromptu court session and shows his own proof: the letter from Lady Constance... (full context)

Wargrave explains away the accusation placed against him: he was the judge for the case of... (full context)

...the group thinks that the speaker must be lying. After the evidence has been presented, Wargrave suggests that they should try to leave as soon as possible. Rogers tells him that... (full context)

Wargrave, alone in his room, thinks of Seton. He remembers how much he enjoyed the case:... (full context)

Mr. Rogers then comes in and Wargrave asks him what time the motorboat normally comes to the island. Rogers tell shim about... (full context)

...Armstrong comes outside to talk to someone about the situation on the island. He sees Wargrave but decides he doesn't want to speak with him and instead chooses Lombard. They go... (full context)

Miss Brent sits on the porch knitting and Vera avoids her. Wargrave also sits on the porch and when Vera looks at him she images that she... (full context)

Armstrong says that Macarthur was killed by being hit with a life preserver. Wargrave now takes over the conversation. Wargrave says that he has been sitting all morning thinking... (full context)

Vera is shocked but Miss Brent believes that Wargrave's theory is true: one of them is possessed by the devil. Blore blurts out that... (full context)

Wargrave says that there can be no exceptions based on “character, position, or probability” they must... (full context)

Because they cannot figure anything out from the first two murders, Wargrave decides to move on to the third. They go through each of their alibis. Everyone... (full context)

Wargrave gives his final summation in which he says that no one person stands out as... (full context)

Vera says she can't see Lombard as the murderer either. Lombard thinks that it is Wargrave because he has played God as a judge for so long that this must have... (full context)

Dr. Armstrong is talking to Wargrave, saying that they must escape. Wargrave responds that it's very unlikely that a boat could... (full context)

After breakfast Wargrave suggests that they all meet in the drawing room in a half an hour to... (full context)

Wargrave says that this isn't really proof and suggests that they should go get Miss Brent... (full context)

...because the verse of the ten little soldier rhyme mentions being stung by a bee. Wargrave asks if anyone brought a syringe into the house and Armstrong says that he did.... (full context)

Armstrong claims that someone must have taken it. Wargrave suggests that they all put whatever drugs or weapons they have in a safe place... (full context)

...The syringe had been carefully wiped. They decide to search for the revolver again and Wargrave says that they should all stay together for safety. They do not find the revolver. (full context)

...the weather will clear up at some point and then they can try to leave. Wargrave says that they just must be very careful. (full context)

...no one has been running the engine that keeps the lights on since Rogers died. Wargrave has seen some candles in the larder and Lombard goes to get them. (full context)

All of a sudden Vera asks where Wargrave is. They realize he didn't follow them up the stairs and go to check on... (full context)

Lombard remarks that Wargrave's act of playing court is over. Vera says that just this morning Lombard thought that... (full context)

After they carry Wargrave's body up to bed, they all stand around the kitchen eating canned tongue mechanically. Vera... (full context)

...“We must be very careful,” but stops when Blore tells him this is exactly what Wargrave said earlier. (full context)

Blore sits in his room and thinks about how cocky Wargrave had been. But even with all his self professed wisdom and care he had died.... (full context)

...and no survivors. Legge wants to know who killed them, but there's very little evidence. Wargrave and Lombard were shot, Miss Brent and Marston died of cyanide poisoning, Mrs. Rogers died... (full context)

...the accusations against all of the guests on the island. He mentions that Seton, who Wargrave convicted, was found later to really have been guilty. He also says that Isaac Morris... (full context)

...from the diaries kept on the island by Vera, Emily Brent and some notes by Wargrave and Blore. The death occurred in this order: Marston, Mrs. Rogers, Miss Brent, Wargrave. Blore... (full context)

Another piece of evidence is that the revolver was found in Wargrave's room with fingerprints on it. Then it seems like Vera could have pushed the statue... (full context)

...from the old woman in their care, but he had no way of proving it. Wargrave then realized that this was his opportunity to commit the perfect murder. (full context)

...Morris as the tenth victim. He was a dope peddler who had gotten one of Wargrave's friend's daughters to take drugs. The girl then committed suicide at 21. (full context)

...worked, and each of the guests arrived on August 8th. To take care of Morris, Wargrave gave him a pill, which he said was for indigestion, and told him to take... (full context)

Wargrave chose the order of his victims very carefully. He believes that there were differing levels... (full context)

Macarthur did not hear Wargrave sneak up behind him and his death was quite painless. Wargrave knew that he now... (full context)

On the morning of August 10th Wargrave killed Rogers while he was chopping sticks. While they were looking for Rogers, Wargrave slipped... (full context)

Next he convinced Armstrong that he (Wargrave) needed to be the next victim because this would rattle the murderer, who wouldn't expect... (full context)

Armstrong and Wargrave met in the middle of the night and Wargrave led Armstrong far away from the... (full context)

Wargrave then writes that he forgot to mention that he returned the revolver to Lombard's room.... (full context)

...and one of them would have a revolver. When Blore came up to the house, Wargrave pushed the marble clock onto him. From the window he watched Vera shoot Lombard and... (full context)

Wargrave writes that he thinks this is an interesting psychological experiment: would she cave to her... (full context)

...have been something strange going on. 3. A symbolic reason: the mark of Cain on Wargrave's head. (full context)

After throwing the letter into sea, Wargrave writes that he will go up to his room and attach an elastic cord to... (full context)

...ten dead bodies and an unsolved mystery on Soldier Island. He signs the letter: Lawrence Wargrave. (full context)

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Justice Wargrave Character Analysis

Justice Wargrave Quotes in And Then There Were None

Justice Wargrave Character Timeline in And Then There Were None

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