History on Trial

Great, I understand what you’re aiming for. Let’s apply this approach to your example:

Obscure Historical Case: The 1884 trial of the shipwrecked crew (R v Dudley and Stephens, the cannibalism case)

Intended Platform: TikTok

Charges:

The accused stand charged with murder—committing homicide by killing and consuming a fellow sailor, Richard Parker, while adrift at sea.

Script Outline for a 60-Second TikTok Documentary:

Act I: The Crime

Stranded. Starving. Four men, one tiny lifeboat in the middle of the Atlantic. Days turn to weeks—then, a dark decision. Two crew members kill and eat the weakest, seventeen-year-old Richard Parker. When rescue comes, the truth comes out. Was this survival... or murder?

Act II: The Evidence and Courtroom Drama

The courtroom is stunned. The defense: “It was NECESSARY. Kill or be killed.” The prosecution: “There’s no excuse—you crossed a forbidden line.” Witnesses sob. Journalists swarm. Can a desperate act really be justified? The fate of the survivors—and the meaning of justice—hangs in the balance.

Act III: The Verdict and Modern-Day Impact

Guilty. A landmark verdict: no one is above the law, not even in life-and-death situations. The sentence? Death, quickly commuted. The impact? To this day, courts worldwide wrestle with the “necessity” defense and where the line truly lies.

This story isn’t just about the past—it’s about what YOU would do when survival is on the line. What would YOUR verdict be? Let us know in the comments.