Henry's Wars and Shakespeare's Laws: Perspectives on the Law of War in the Later Middle Ages / Edition 1

by Theodor Meron

Overview

Shakespeare's Henry V has traditionally been acclaimed for its impressive depiction of the psychological and political impact of warfare, and it remains one of the most widely-discussed plays in the canon. In this highly original, scholarly, and thought-provoking study Professor Meron uses rare medieval ordinances and other medieval and Renaissance historical and legal sources to provide challenging new contexts for Shakespeare's famous play. The result is a gripping account of how Henry V and other 'Histories' dramatically articulated complex medieval and Renaissance attitudes to warfare and the conduct of nations and individuals in time of war. The author uses the play and the campaign itself as a frame for the examination of the medieval laws of war, and examines stability and change in attitudes towards the laws of war.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780198258117
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	03/24/1994
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.38(w) x 9.50(h) x 0.82(d)

About the Author

New York University School of Law and The Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva

Editorial Reviews

"Extraordinary....Meron's work deserves to be celebrated by those interested in restraints on war.... Meron's comparisons between the fifteenth and twentieth centuries are bold and challenging....Henry's Wars illuminates its various subjects in a brilliant...way....By delving into the past, Meron reminds his contemporaries that standards in the use of armed force must be part of culture, not the exclusive property of legal specialists. and enlivens a subject that can easily seem arcane."—Adam Roberts in American Journal of International Law

"A refreshing contribution to the "conflictual arena" of Shakespeare studies."—Times Literary Supplement

From the Publisher