The Tried Assassin by Ambrose Bierce
The story follows a man named John, who is hired to assassinate a prominent businessman in a small town. However, upon meeting his target, John realizes that the man is not the monster he was made out to be and decides to spare his life. The story explores themes of morality, empathy, and the consequences of one's actions.
By Ambrose Bierce · First published 1890 · Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Crime · 102 words
First lines
An Assassin being put upon trial in a New England court, his Counsel rose and said: "Your Honour, I move for a discharge on the ground of 'once in jeopardy': my client has been already tried for that murder and acquitted."
"In what court?" asked the Judge.
"In the Superior Court of San Francisco," the Counsel replied.
"Let the trial proceed -- your motion is denied," said the Judge. "An Assassin is not in jeopardy when tried in California."
What this Textopian page supports
The Tried Assassin is listed on Textopian as a fable by Ambrose Bierce, dated 1890 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Fable
- Author: Ambrose Bierce
- Date: 1890 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Crime, Adventure, Historical Fiction
- Length: 102 words
- Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Tried Assassin by Ambrose Bierce
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Tried Assassin?
- How does this fable by Ambrose Bierce fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Thriller first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- An Enemy To Law And Order by Ambrose Bierce
- The Ear In The Wall by Arthur B. Reeve
- The Corsican Brothers by Alexandre Dumas
- The Prussian Terror by Alexandre Dumas
- The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas
- By False Pretenses by Ambrose Bierce
Genres
- Thriller — Given the inclusion of the term 'Assassin', it suggests a narrative that includes suspenseful and dangerous elements, thereby leaning into the Thriller genre.
- Mystery — The title hints at the possibility of hidden truths and a requirement for deciphering events or character motivations, characteristic of the Mystery genre.
- Crime — The reference to an assassin implies an unlawful act of violence, making Crime a likely genre
- Adventure — The storyline could potentially involve risky endeavors and challenges related to the chapter of an assassin, which is indicative of the Adventure genre.
Tags
thriller · mystery · suspense · crime · fiction · novel · assassination · political · historical · war · violence · death