Watt, Gary
Shakespeare and the Law (Oxford Shakespeare Topics)
- ISBN 13:
- 9780198877073
- author:
- Watt, Gary
- format:
- Paperback
- publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- language:
- English
- Publication Year:
- 2025
- Pages:
- 208
- Dimensions:
- 20.4 x 13.7 x 1.2 centimetres (0
- Genre:
- Fiction & Literature, Literary Criticsm, Shakespeare,
- Condition:
- New
- Availability:
- Item usually sent within 7 working days
Description
Shakespeare and the Law explores how Shakespeare's works reflect an early modern culture in which dramatists and lawyers shared rhetorical practices. Gary Watt argues that Shakespeare was more interested in using law as a dramatic device to create tension and interest, rather than focusing on its technical accuracy. In this book, Watt examines how Shakespeare uses legal language, actions, and materials to engage his audience and prompt them to consider the events unfolding on stage. By closely analyzing Shakespeare's poetic sound effects, Watt reveals how these elements encourage audiences to confer a fair hearing and participate in the drama. This study offers a fresh perspective on Shakespeare's plays, demonstrating that they can be seen as "law plays" that use rhetorical practices to challenge power and explore the human instinct to play with rules.
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