Julie Stone Peters, Law as Performance: Theatricality, Spectatorship, and the Making of Law in Ancient, Medieval, and Early Modern Europe (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2022). Pages xiv + 368 + 27 figures. 120. 00 hardback.

Key Points

• The book reveals how law operates through performance and theatricality, shaping societal views of justice and authority.
• Key evidence includes historical examples across ancient, medieval, and early modern periods that highlight the fluidity of legal interpretation and its presentation.
• Through analysis, the author employs a interdisciplinary approach combining law, drama, and cultural studies to uncover the performative aspects of legal practice.
• The findings may enable a deeper understanding of the dynamic relationship between law and society, urging readers to reconsider both historical and contemporary legal practices.