Rupert and Charlie continue their discussion of Great Expectations. They take a look at what was always one of Dickens' great preoccupations, the operation of the law in the book, and the brilliant character of Jaggers the lawyer and his sidekick, Wemmick.  The prison hulks on the Thames from which Magwitch escapes were well known to Dickens as a child, and the descriptions of the court, where 32 people are sentenced to death, are unforgettable. As so often in Dickens, the cast of minor characters are rich and varied, and we look at many of them including Trabb's Boy who torments Pip once he has become a gentleman; Wopsle, the fruity and absurd actor; Pumblechook, who insists on giving Pip rolling mental arithmetic tests to humiliate him, and Bentley Drummle, the lugubrious rich man's son who manages to marry Estella. But is the melodrama overdone? Are the plot twists and coincidences too convoluted to be credible? And is this Charles Dickens' finest novel? Join Rupert and Charlie to find out.

Episode ID: 1000749557798

GUID: Buzzsprout-18669519

Release Date: 13/02/2026, 07:00:00