Literature and Law in the Era of Magna Carta

The monograph series Oxford Studies in Medieval Literature and Culture highlights the multilingual and multicultural nature of medieval literature and encourages interdisciplinary research. "Literature and Law in the Era of Magna Carta" explores the processes of literary training and experimentation in the early history of English common law, from Magna Carta to the statute books that preserved its provisions. It uncovers the role that grammatical and rhetorical training played in shaping legal arguments for self-definition. The book interweaves the histories of literary pedagogy and English law, showing how foundational lessons in poetics helped generate a language and theory of corporate autonomy.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 304 pages
Publication date: 22 February 2024
Publisher: Oxford University Press

The monograph series Oxford Studies in Medieval Literature and Culture celebrates the multilingual and multicultural richness of medieval literature, actively fostering research that explores a wide range of subjects in literature, theology, philosophy, social, political, juridical, and intellectual history, art history, and science. It encourages innovative and interdisciplinary studies, encompassing manuscript and book history, linguistics and literature, post-colonial and global studies, digital humanities and media studies, performance studies, the history of affect and emotion, sexuality theory and history, ecocriticism and environmental studies, lyric theories, aesthetics, practices of devotion, and ideas of medievalism.

Literature and Law in the Era of Magna Carta delves into the processes of literary training and experimentation throughout the early history of English common law, from its inception during the reign of Henry II to its turbulent consolidations under the reigns of John and Henry III. This period witnessed a remarkable outpouring of innovative legal writing in England, spanning from Magna Carta to the numerous statute books that preserved its provisions. Moreover, it was a time of intense self-definition, as communities, both lay and ecclesiastic, utilized law to articulate collective identities.

Literature and Law in the Era of Magna Carta uncovers the significant role that grammatical and rhetorical training played in shaping these arguments for legal self-definition. The book begins with the life of Archbishop Thomas Becket and explores how his grammatical and rhetorical skills influenced his legal arguments and self-definition. By examining the writings of Becket and other legal scholars of the time, the book sheds light on the ways in which language and rhetoric were used to construct and defend legal claims, as well as to shape the identities of individuals and communities.

Through its comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach, Literature and Law in the Era of Magna Carta offers valuable insights into the complex relationship between literature, law, and society in the medieval period. It contributes to our understanding of the ways in which language and literature shaped legal arguments and self-definition, and how legal practices and institutions contributed to the development of literature and culture. This book will be of interest to scholars and students of medieval history, literature, law, and culture, as well as those interested in interdisciplinary studies.

Weight: 456g
Dimension: 152 x 235 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780198904809