Cicero's Use of Judicial Theater

Nonfiction, History, Ancient History, Rome
Cover of the book Cicero's Use of Judicial Theater by Jonathan Hall, University of Michigan Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Jonathan Hall ISBN: 9780472120369
Publisher: University of Michigan Press Publication: August 13, 2014
Imprint: University of Michigan Press Language: English
Author: Jonathan Hall
ISBN: 9780472120369
Publisher: University of Michigan Press
Publication: August 13, 2014
Imprint: University of Michigan Press
Language: English

In Cicero’s Use of Judicial Theater, Jon Hall examines Cicero's use of showmanship in the Roman courts, looking in particular at the nonverbal devices that he employs during his speeches as he attempts to manipulate opinion. Cicero's speeches in the law-courts often incorporate theatrical devices including the use of family relatives as props during emotional appeals, exploitation of tears and supplication, and the wearing of specially dirtied attire by defendants during a trial, all of which contrast strikingly with the practices of the modem advocate. Hall investigates how Cicero successfully deployed these techniques and why they played such a prominent part in the Roman courts. These "judicial theatrics" are rarely discussed by the ancient rhetorical handbooks, and Cicero’s Use of Judicial Theater argues that their successful use by Roman orators derives largely from the inherent theatricality of aristocratic life in ancient Rome—most of the devices deployed in the courts appear elsewhere in the social and political activities of the elite.

While Cicero’s Use of Judicial Theater will be of interest primarily to professional scholars and students studying the speeches of Cicero, its wider analyses, both of Roman cultural customs and the idiosyncratic practices of the courts, will prove relevant also to social historians, as well as historians of legal procedure.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In Cicero’s Use of Judicial Theater, Jon Hall examines Cicero's use of showmanship in the Roman courts, looking in particular at the nonverbal devices that he employs during his speeches as he attempts to manipulate opinion. Cicero's speeches in the law-courts often incorporate theatrical devices including the use of family relatives as props during emotional appeals, exploitation of tears and supplication, and the wearing of specially dirtied attire by defendants during a trial, all of which contrast strikingly with the practices of the modem advocate. Hall investigates how Cicero successfully deployed these techniques and why they played such a prominent part in the Roman courts. These "judicial theatrics" are rarely discussed by the ancient rhetorical handbooks, and Cicero’s Use of Judicial Theater argues that their successful use by Roman orators derives largely from the inherent theatricality of aristocratic life in ancient Rome—most of the devices deployed in the courts appear elsewhere in the social and political activities of the elite.

While Cicero’s Use of Judicial Theater will be of interest primarily to professional scholars and students studying the speeches of Cicero, its wider analyses, both of Roman cultural customs and the idiosyncratic practices of the courts, will prove relevant also to social historians, as well as historians of legal procedure.

More books from University of Michigan Press

Cover of the book The Congressional Black Caucus, Minority Voting Rights, and the U.S. Supreme Court by Jonathan Hall
Cover of the book Campaign Finance and Political Polarization by Jonathan Hall
Cover of the book Publishing The Prince by Jonathan Hall
Cover of the book Counting the Tiger's Teeth by Jonathan Hall
Cover of the book Britain and World Power since 1945 by Jonathan Hall
Cover of the book The Origins of Christian Democracy by Jonathan Hall
Cover of the book Starting Over by Jonathan Hall
Cover of the book The Glass City by Jonathan Hall
Cover of the book Wendy Wasserstein by Jonathan Hall
Cover of the book The American Wife by Jonathan Hall
Cover of the book Deep by Jonathan Hall
Cover of the book Democracy, Dictatorship, and Term Limits by Jonathan Hall
Cover of the book Litigating in the Shadow of Death by Jonathan Hall
Cover of the book Monetary Divergence by Jonathan Hall
Cover of the book Strung Together by Jonathan Hall
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy