Honesty/Deceit – Throughout “The Runaway Jury,” Grisham uses almost all of the characters to manipulate and deceive in one way or another; however, Judge Harkin is one of the few men who are determined to remain honest, which is a crucial part of his integrity. Judge Harkin strives to keep the jury, along with it’s lawyers, under the hammer of truth, as he reminds them daily to not discuss the trial outside of the courtroom or else suffer the repercussions. With Marlee and Nicholas working against Fitch and his associates, deceit has become their game, as they are attempting to manipulate each other, including the the jurors responsible for delivering a verdict with Nicholas. Despite the trials location in Biloxi, Mississippi, which is a  part of the “always honest” South, everyone is trying to convert other people, whether it’s through bribery or lying, two things that Judge Harkin would never do to the jury in a tobacco litigation trial as massive as this one.

Hope/Despair – As Celeste Wood is rewarded with 2 million dollars in compensatory damages and the defense is slammed with a 400 million dollar punitive damage verdict, there is hope for the plaintiff’s side, while the defense is sent into a state of despair. What caused this verdict to be created was the support that Nicholas and Marlee gave the plaintiff’s side. At first, they appeared to be siding with the defense, however, they revealed how they were going to be in support of the plaintiff’s side because of their plan to seek revenge for Marlee’s devastated childhood. With Fitch behind these schemes, Nicholas and Marlee pursued a verdict that would cost him and his associates the largest amount of money, something that would leave them in despair.

Guilty/Innocent – As the tobacco litigation trial continues to progress, the verdict is being created to go against whoever is guilty or innocent, whether that be the defense or the plaintiff’s side. Due to the plaintiff’s side providing such elite doctors and their informative speeches over the effects of cigarettes on the body and how false advertising hooks more people, the jurors lean towards their side. Even after the defense tries to counteract the plaintiff’s statements, the jurors side with Nicholas and Marlee, making the defense the guilty ones liable for the death of Jacob Wood and the plaintiff’s side as the innocent ones.

Changeable/Constant – Although Nicholas and Marlee are constant in their methods, just as Fitch hopes to be, the jurors and everyone surrounding and/or affiliated with them is able to be changed. As their plan progresses, Fitch becomes their little minion who gives in to every want or need that is necessary to the advancement of their plan, something that causes him to become a changeable character when Nicholas and Marlee remain constant. This applies to the ending of the plot, too, as Nicholas and Marlee’s motives are revealed at the end as if they have changed, when in reality they were simply covering up their plot for revenge against Fitch and the devastation that he caused to Marlee’s childhood.

Failure/Success – In finally accomplishing the creation of their verdict against the defense, Nicholas and Marlee have finished as successes, whereas Fitch and his associates have failed. Ultimately, determining who failed and succeeded in this novel is based off of who was the greatest manipulator or deceiver, which clearly declares Nicholas and Marlee as the victors. They were able to create a verdict against the defense that costs Fitch millions of dollars, giving Marlee the satisfaction of watching Fitch suffer, just as she did as a child.