Lex Laetans: Three Theses on the Unbearable Lightness of Legal Critique

Authors

• Peter Goodrich, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of LawFollow

Publication Date

Fall 2005

Journal

Law and Literature

Abstract

The article argues that satire, particularly in legal contexts, serves as a critical tool for exposing the vulnerabilities and hypocrisies of legal and social structures. Through the example of Wither, the analysis posits that satire operates as a "divergent writing" that challenges authority by revealing the instability of words and the fragility of names. Satire, in this sense, is not merely a literary device but a form of critique that underscores the ambiguity and playfulness of language, ultimately holding individuals and institutions accountable for their words and actions.

Volume

17

Issue

3

First Page

293

Last Page

320

Publisher

Routledge

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1525/lal.2005.17.3.293

Disciplines

Communications Law | Constitutional Law | Law | Law and Politics | Legal Remedies | Torts

Comments

Symposium: Law, Satire, Incapacity

Recommended Citation

Peter Goodrich, Lex Laetans: Three Theses on the Unbearable Lightness of Legal Critique, 17 Law and Literature 293 (2005).
https://doi.org/10.1525/lal.2005.17.3.293