Legal Brief for August, 2012

Shakespeare and Lawyers

It appears that William Shakespeare was not unacquainted with the legal profession.  Lawyers are mentioned in his plays more than any other profession (apparently someone has had the time to do a count of this!).  As Shakespeare became a relatively wealthy man in his life as a result of his acting troupe of actors being granted a Royal Patent by King James 1, he would have had need to utilize the services of lawyers to look after his personal affairs.  With his genius for observation and understanding, he was undoubtedly a quick study in picking up the rhythms and culture of the legal world.  

Likely the most famous legal related quote from his plays is that of: "The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers", uttered by Dick the Butcher in Henry VI (Part 2), as part of a lengthy back and forth between two characters exchanging thoughts on what their version of a utopian future would look like.  Perhaps the Bard had just emerged from an upleasant court experience as he was writing Henry VI!

Here is a sampling of other legal related lines from some of Shakespeare's plays:

"And do as adversaries do in law,
Strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends." The Taming of the Shrew

"The law hath not been dead, though it hath slept." Measure For Measure

"Why, may not that be the skull of a lawyer? Where be his quiddities [petty distinctions] now, his quillities, his cases, his tenures, and his tricks? Why does he suffer this mad knave to knock him about the sconce with a dirty shovel, and will not tell him of his action of battery? Hum!" Hamlet

"We must not make a scarecrow of the law,
Setting it up to fear the birds of prey,
And let it keep one shape, till custom make it
Their perch and not their terror." Measure For Measure

"The world is still deceived with ornament.
In law, what plea so tainted and corrupt,
But, being seasoned with a gracious voice,
Obscures the show of evil?" The Merchant of Venice