Book, Models of Judge Essays on Law and Literature 1/15[LS]

Aeschylus, Shakespeare, Tolstoy, Kafka, Brecht, Coetzee and Sciascia. What is common between these great writers of Western literature? All of them – and many others – tell us stories that involve the role of the judge, the problem of decision, the symbols and rituals of the judicial system and the challenges in achieving justice. This book adopts the premise that some literary narratives, especially the classics, are more important for the study and understanding of law than most legal manuals. This is because literature can be considered a true repository of sources for critical reflection on Law. Thus, based on the theoretical and methodological assumptions of the study of Law in Literature, combined with the notion of judge models – originally formulated by François Ost –, the authors address the representation of the judge and, in general, of institutions linked to justice from literary narratives. Reference work in interdisciplinary studies of Law and Literature, at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, carried out in the areas of applied human and social sciences.