Shakespeare's Legal Language: A Dictionary

by B.J. Sokol, Mary Sokol

Asserting the idea that Shakespeare showed a precise and serious interest in the capacity of legal language to convey matters of social, moral, and intellectual substance, the authors present an alphabetically arranged dictionary of the legal terms used in his writings. The introduction discusses the use of legal language during Shakespeare's litigious era, sources of legal history, and the organization and structure of the dictionary. The dictionary is wide- ranging in content and extensively cross-referenced, covering legal terms and as well as the legal dimension of many other words. Entries are succinct but substantive, not telegraphically written, and the effect is to produce an outline of English law and its institutions in Shakespeare's age, including the courts, law officers, the laws of property, inheritance, marriage, and status, contract and debt, crime, misdemeanors, and regulation of morals. Includes a substantial bibliography; an index of Shakespeare's passages, scenes, and works; and an index of legal terms and concepts. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

510 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2000