In William Godwin's Caleb Williams, the main protagonist Caleb supposedly writes to prove his innocence after his former master, Mr. Falkland, destroys his reputation. However, in the postscript, once Falkland is dead after being convicted of his crimes, Caleb appears to regret his actions. He represents himself and Falkland as idealized, romanticized versions of their respective roles; a good master who acts prudently in the face of adverse conditions and a loyal servant who mistakenly betrays his master. A closer examination of Caleb's ambiguous syntax, however, reveals implications that he does not think as highly of Falkland as he claims. This reveals him as an unreliable narrator who may have more realistic feelings than he describes. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Before the postscript, Caleb decides to try to bring Falkland to justice. When he arrives at court to see Falkland ill, however, he seems to no longer want to incriminate him. “Wish to God,” he says, “it were possible for me to withdraw… without saying another word! I would face the consequences…rather than add to the burden of misfortune by which Mr. Falkland is overwhelmed” (Godwin 331). This is the first indication that he may not be speaking honestly. If he were more concerned about Falkland's well-being, he would refrain from "saying another word" and "face the consequences", as he said. Rather, he gives a long speech detailing Falkland's crimes, hinting that he may actually wish to add to Falkland's woes. Despite the concern for Falkland that Caleb portrays as having, he appears to speak in a manner intended to deliberately upset his former master. “When I mentioned the murder,” she writes, “I could sense an involuntary shudder in him” (335). He says he "mentioned" the murder as if it were random, without reason. However, this is reminiscent of earlier moments in the tale, such as his conversation with Falkland about an innocent man who would have been executed if not for the presence of the real criminal, in which Caleb would "introduce himself, in insensible degrees, to the point that desired” (121), meaning that he would touch on issues he believed were sensitive to Falkland to see how he would react, attempting to find out if he was Tyrrel's real killer. In court, he already knows that Falkland is the killer, so his "mention" of the murder appears to be intended not only to incriminate Falkland, but to cause him further pain. Throughout the scene, Caleb praises Falkland and berates himself for bringing his former master to this fate. Much of the praise, however, is phrased in ambiguous ways that can even be interpreted negatively. Although Caleb states that Falkland "is of a noble nature" and has "qualities of the most admirable kind" (334), he does not outright say that Falkland is noble or admirable. Previously, in fact, Caleb had stated that Falkland "was worthy of reverence", that he "loved him" and that "he was endowed with qualities that had a divine flavor" (331). His strongest praises are all in the past tense, focusing on what his master was like before the persecution began rather than what he is currently like, suggesting that these praises are no longer applicable. After the court scene, when Caleb is finishing his tale, many of the praises and laments directed at Falkland can also be interpreted as criticism. He writes "It was right that he should praise my patience, who fell victim, life and fame, to my haste!" (336.) Although Caleb expresses his guilt in the final sentence, it is initially unclear to whom the “who” refers, since “life and.