After reading and discussing A Rose for Emily I divided the students into two groups.

Group 1, the prosecution, had to prove Miss Emily guilty of murder, and group 2, the
defense, had to present a viable defense strategy.
Both groups could only use evidence coming directly from the text, quoting the story.
They each had to begin with an argument (like a thesis statement) that they were going to prove.
They could also choose to provide witnesses, students acting the part of the townspeople, to
bring more evidence to the trial. The actors had to follow the text as for content.
Nobody was allowed to play the corpses

I let the groups work for about 15 minutes, then facilitated the discussion, beginning with the
defense.
I was surprised how much the student became involved in the discussion, and even had to
intervene to decrease the level of emotion.
One student said, I have convinced myself. Emily premeditated the murder, then became insabe
after killing Homer.
Others gained insight into the authors foreshadowing. Others commented on the psychological
abuse Emilys father subjected her to.
All in all, this was a very successful exercise where the students had to use the text and nothing
else to support their argument.