Mr. K is asked by a magistrate to appear for an interrogation. K agrees though is clearly on edge as he is determined to end this farce once and for all. His single-mindedness forces him to take longer in reaching his destination: a crowded tenement square. His frustration builds as he asks the locals for the “captain’s” name, Lanz. Upon finding where he may be he is ushered into a darkened hallway where a vast throng of people are gathered for his “trial” The situation within the so called “courtroom” is one of deliberate psychological manipulation. The situation can be likened more to a medical school’s examination theater than a trial proceeding. The audiences seem to test Mr. K’s reactions and break out into laughter or inquisitive silence at K’s reactions and defense on being intruded upon by the two warders and the “Investigator’s” meddling. As K storms off he is cryptically told by the magistrate that the advantage of being in front of an audience to speak his peace was callously thrown away, never to be gained again.
