William Shakespeare has an intimate connection with the law. In fact, more of his lines are devoted to discussing law than any other profession. Two thirds—more than 20—of Shakespeare’s plays have trial scenes. All 37 of Shakespeare’s plays—including the lesser-known “The Two Noble Kinsmen” and “Timon of Athens”—have been quoted by American courts, in over 800 judicial opinions. This week, on Afterwords, Uma - and special guest Professor Paul Raffield will be exploring this remarkable intersection between the bard and the law.

Show Notes:

i. For an overview of why lawyers love Shakespeare, check out this purposeful piece in The Economist. 

ii. The University of Chicago Law School's "Shakespeare and the Law" conference brought together thinkers from law, literature, and philosophy to investigate the legal dimensions of Shakespeare's plays. Check out the keynote address here. 

iii. For some advanced reading on the subject, check out the collection of essays that Professor Raffield edited here. The collection includes analyses of the juristic content of specific plays, such as: law and its subversion in Romeo and Juliet, Coriolanus and the Midland Rising of 1607, justice, care, and relationship in Measure for Measure, and Macbeth, terrorism, and equivocators.

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Tags:  Bookmark,  afterwords,  Shakespeare,  law,  lawyers,  courts,  The Two Noble Kinsmen,  Timon of Athens,  literature,  books