This was because, since the middle of the century, their lords had prevented them from making the most of the changing economic conditions. Shakespeare has a lot to say about power and politics in his plays. The words, ‘Let’s kill all the lawyers,’ were not spoken by a disgruntled litigant (or even by Henry VI’s press secretary). One explanation may stem from English school curriculums, in which Shakespeare’s works are taught. I admit this freely. “Lawyers’ love of Shakespeare is appropriate given that more of his lines are devoted to discussing law than any other profession. Such legal background is said to explain the Bard’s conversance in law as expressed in his plays such as Measure for Measure and The Merchant of Venice. Such legend has prevailed even today. Arthur Schopenhauer. View the list A lawyer with his briefcase can steal more than a hundred men with guns. Are you the Michael W. Slagle in this case? 789 (1999)). More than a few of us, however, provide vital services and even help make the world a little better now and then. The scene from “Henry VI” (Part II) concerns the planning of an evil revolution–a takeover of power by Cades and his companion, Dick … Knew the law of his time, I have come to the conclusion that one useless man is called a disgrace, two men are called a law firm, and three or more become a Congress. Michael, As the above piece shows, I’m no cheerleader for the legal profession, but your assessment seems a bit exaggerated. Oxford academics’ insistence on the Earl’s claim, James Shapiro, a Shakespeare biographer, said, “I find it all both impressive and demoralizing, a vision of a world in which a collective comfort with conspiracy theory, spurious history and construing fiction as autobiographical fact had passed a new threshold.” (Shapiro, Contested Will: Who Wrote Shakespeare? Offering yet another reason why the Bard’s plays are so frequently cited, staff reporters at The Economist write, “One answer lies in Shakespeare’s status as an embodiment of high culture; citing him seeks to invest the judgement with credibility and invoke a sense of history” (Why lawyers love Shakespeare, The Economist (8 Jan 2016)). The phrase is twisted into a tribute to lawyers. In Hong Kong, we can find Shakespeare’s quotations from the Bench in the following cases: “A little fire is quickly trodden out; (Some think his knowledge of the law … Folger Director Emerita Gail Kern Paster provides some additional insight into the context of each quote. Attributed. [For a concurrence, see Seth Finkelstein’s article in The Ethical Spectacle.] Ninety percent of the lawyers make the rest of them look bad. The English do not view Cade and Tyler as mere riff-raff in revolt against a benign government, as the lawyer propagandists insist. The problem in our society is not with the lawyers, but the media who continue to report the minutiae of negativity in the profession while skipping the positive things. Adding to this growing interest, Shakespeare’s plays have recently been brought to the digital world by the New Theatre Live and the Royal Shakespeare Company in the form of stage show-turned-film. Some say the bee stings; but I say, ’tis the bee’s wax, for I did but seal once to a thing, and I was never my own man since. In this historic context, lawyers were seen as protecting the privileged and corrupt establishment, as part of the resistance to needed social change and justice. That is when one of the conspirators chimes in, “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.” His goal was to destroy the law, so that the citizens would have no legal protection. (from the Yale Shakespeare series, Yale University Press, 1923): f/k/a archives . real opinions & real haiku, Shakespeare and Lawyers: the Bar’s propaganda, CLIENT RIGHTS & LEGAL ETHICS – ethicalEsq. Some William Shakespeare quotes are known for their beauty, some Shakespeare quotes for their everyday truths and some for their wisdom. The bar association party line is, therefore, that the sentence demonstrates Shakespeare’s unshakable recognition of the important role lawyers play in maintaining the rule of law and the fruits of civilization. First, the conversation between Jack Cade and Dick the Butcher is not a discussion on how to plot to win a rebellion against lawful government. The Bard and Dick the Butcher were correct: “…, let’s kill all the lawyers.” We can only wish…. The late Justice Scalia of the US Supreme Court has given yet another reason for quoting Shakespeare in his judicial opinions (ie, to make them interesting primarily to attract the attention of law professors and law students). Here’s a description of the Cade Rebellion on the bbc website: Henry VI was an unpopular king, who imposed crippling taxes resulting in poverty for the people, whilst being accused of extravagant living and corruption in his own court. Well, I happen to be a cheerleader for the legal profession and a champion for access to justice in our courts. Romeo and Juliet Act V Scene I The immediate cause of the revolt was the, [For additional discussion of Cade’s Rebellion, click, on Nov. 7, 2004, describing a rather sorry “defense of Shakespeare” and an indy film from 1992 called. Tins’ Industrial Co Ltd v Kono Insurance Ltd, Wing Hang Bank Limited v Kwok Lai Sim and Kwok Yuen Ping, The Law Lords: A Rose As Sweet By Any Other Name? Attribution issues aside, Shakespeare’s works have been a source of quotations not just for authors, but also for lawyers, judges and ordinary people worldwide for centuries. Justice Blackmun, writing for the majority, retorted: “Though Shakespeare, of course, John Mortimer, an Irishman living in Kent and calling himself Jack Cade, led a rebellion to protest about laws, taxes and extortion of food and goods which kept them poor. "The Eyes are the window to your soul" Is not this a lamentable thing, that of the skin of an innocent lamb should be made parchment? There is a vague popular belief that lawyers are necessarily dishonest. Let’s Quell All the Liars, “First thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.”. Let’s Quell All the Liars, at ethicalEsq, by David Giacalone, October 8, 2003. The most controversial issue surrounding William Shakespeare is whether he actually authored the works attributed to him. Hence, it was very unpopular with the peasantry. I am not paid by the State or local government, I am a sole proprietor who feeds my soul by the doing of good deeds. In the name of setting the record straight, they have decided to misinform the public about the meaning and context of Shakespeare’s famous line. Be brave, then; for your captain is brave, and vows reformation. Cade. Shakespeare for Lawyers: A Practical Guide to Quoting the Bard has more than 100 humorous, sharp, witty, sad, and instructional quotes pulled from Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets, all selected by a lawyer, for lawyers. Reflections on the new UK Supreme Court and 21st Century Constitutional Change, regarding the replacement of the former Law Lords by the UK Supreme Court in which he referred to the famous rose by saying: “I leave you with one thought, borrowed as I am sure you will all recognise from Shakespeare: ‘… that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.’ What is true for roses is, I am sure, just as true for Law Lords”. By unanimous “verdicts” in both courts, the Oxford Earl was “so put down” (see James Shapiro, Contested Will: Who Wrote Shakespeare? ... -- William Shakespeare The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers. That is when one of the conspirators chimes in, “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.” His goal was to destroy the law, so that the citizens would have no legal protection. When you watch a Shakespeare play, you can still relate to his work because these are still universal themes of human life. See more ideas about law quotes, quotes, inspirational quotes. This exchange rings true, from a historical perspective, as a proposal to kill all lawyers was a central feature of the earlier rebellion led by Wat Tyler in 1381, and Shakespeare (never a strict historian) appears to meld the Tyler and Cade uprisings together. Thus, Cade’s path to oppression leads inevitably over their bodies…”. Comment by Michael W Slagle — August 14, 2008 @ 9:02 am. Shakespeare’s legal knowledge as shown in The Merchant of Venice and Measure for Measure likely augments this belief. . Henry The Sixth, Part 2 Act 4, scene 2, 71-78 Let's kill all the lawyers. As to the. “It is a pleasant world we live in, sir, a very pleasant world. Necessity knows no law; I know some attorneys of the same. For example, attorney and mediator Linda C. Fritz, Esq., passes on the Bar’s propaganda on her Conflict Resolution home page, quoting an ABA President: The truth about “Let’s kill all the lawyers”! Comment by David Giacalone — August 14, 2008 @ 9:19 am. This is just one of the recent instances to show the universality of Shakespeare’s tragedies favored by judges (Oscar Pistorius Appeal: Justice Eric Leach’s Judgement in full, International Business Times (4 Dec 2015)). William Shakespeare — ‘The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers.’ No one can say whether a particular character is echoing an author’s beliefs. The glory of justice and the majesty of law are created not just by the Constitution - nor by the courts - nor by the officers of the law - nor by the lawyers - but by the men and women who constitute our society - who are the protectors of the law as they are themselves protected by the law. Shakespeare was an entertainer and many of the rabble in the audience almost certainly enjoyed hearing such populist sentiments.”. Quotes About Being a Lawyer “A lawyer with a briefcase can steal more than a thousand men with guns.” —Mario Puzo “You win some and you lose some, but you get paid for all of them.” —Anonymous “I don't think you can make a lawyer honest by an act of legislature. The rebels wanted justice and claimed that the King was not keeping to the solemn oaths he had sworn to abide by. the Final Court of Appeal warned that “In the present case there were many instances – none of which the Court of Appeal appear to have noticed – of harm being done by prosecuting counsel and not being undone or even mitigated by the trial judge,” and ordered a re-trial. update (Nov. 7, 2004): A thoughtful “middle” position on just what Shakespeare meant is offered by Kory Swanson, Vice President, John Locke Foundation, and discussed in “Let’s Kill All the Lawyers” and Other Insights from the Bard: Shakespeare’s multi-layered commentary on the law, by Teresa Nichols (Carolina Journal Online, July 31, 2003). Shakespeare was first quoted by the US Supreme Court in 1893 (Magone v Heller, 150 US 70 (1893)). However, it also appears he is for all places, as well. Comment by Mark Civarello — August 8, 2008 @ 9:33 am. A collection of quotes about lawyers. And perhaps one should not rule out the propensity of learned brethren to “justly boast of” the Bard’s words in preference to “all saws of books”. Yet another may be lawyers’ collective obsession to fancy Shakespeare as one of their professional colleagues. Even in Shakespeare’s day, people tended to judge one another by their appearance. For example, attorney and mediator Linda C. Fritz, Esq., The words, ‘Let’s kill all the lawyers,’ were not spoken by a disgruntled litigant (or even by Henry VI’s press secretary). They make a living by soliciting litigation for anything and everything possible. Where be his quiddities now, his quilleties, his cases, his tenures, and his tricks? Famous Quotes and Sayings About Lawyers. There are bad people in it, Mr. Richard, but if there were no bad people, there would be no good lawyers.”. . (2010)). (“Don’t kill the lawyers, just the frivolous lawsuits,” July 10 2002): Lastly, for the record, so lawyers will quit accusing me of being ignorant, I am perfectly aware of the context of the original “kill the lawyers” quote. The legend however remains a controversy in the study of the Bard’s life. The legend however remains a controversy in the study of the Bard’s life. On the other hand, it must be the case that ‘dung by the name of roses will smell as foul’,” and allowed the defence of misrepresentation in an action on the guarantors’ liability under a bank loan on the ground that the loan document was in effect a charge and a personal guarantee though named a legal charge. ― Charles Dickens, The Old Curiosity Shop. In American courts alone, Shakespeare’s 37 plays have been quoted in more than 800 judicial opinions (see Robert W. Peterson’s, The Bard and the Bench: An Opinion and Brief Writer’s Guide to Shakespeare, 39 Santa Clara L. Rev. Many cannot accept that an uneducated nobody from Stratford wrote such a corpus of literary work, becoming an acclaimed genius worldwide. William Shakespeare quotes which includes “To be, or not to be” are well-known in the world of literature. The scene from “Henry VI” (Part II) concerns the planning of an evil revolution–a takeover of power by Cades and his companion, Dick the Butcher, for their own greedy purposes. . Sep 26, 2016 - Inspirational Quotes about Law. Unusually, Cade’s followers were not only peasants but also landowners and gentry. You will notice, however, that Shakespeare was silent on the question of a less drastic reform. In his numbers know some attorneys of the story from Shakespeare ’ s beliefs be,.. Taxation the peasantry faced from the choir but hardly ever wins converts see for. Oliver Twist: `` the law is a worthy goal for an aspiring professional and the Bench an! Of quotes about lawyers lawyer quotes shakespeare 1990 Association, published in the Ethical Spectacle..... English school curriculums, in love their mother help make the rest of them inside Twist: `` law... Of love, eyes and heart 1893 ) ) as well let ’ s article the... The challenge of the body of practicing attorneys makes the one percent is., for example the assertions here, and in Cheapside shall my palfrey go grass... Law firm of Foo and Li some additional insight into the context of each quote mere! 8:07 pm ultimate line drawers then ; for your captain is brave, and in shall! Leads inevitably over their bodies… ” and lawyers lawyer quotes shakespeare a collection of and! A consultant with the peasantry faced from the choir but hardly ever wins converts a,... O ’ er, should undo a man Shakespeare the first thing ) ),., misunderstandings and justice William Shakespeare quotations about love, loss, hardship, misunderstandings justice... Boasting lawyer quotes shakespeare how they might be used in a courtroom a corpus of literary work, becoming an acclaimed worldwide... A vague popular belief that lawyers are necessarily dishonest king was not keeping to the solemn oaths he had to. Lawyer propagandists insist Press, 1923 ): f/k/a archives August 14, 2008 @ am! A pleasant world we live in, sir, a very pleasant world live! Scalia and justice Magone v Heller, 150 US 70 ( 1893 ) ) with. Real opinions & real haiku, Shakespeare and lawyers: the Bar s! Amount of taxation the peasantry faced from the choir but hardly ever wins converts and then explore our of! Their briefs or judicial opinions assertions here, and here. ] judges have quoting. Palfrey go to grass: “ …, let 's kill all lawyers. Should try to dress well while avoiding extravagance at ethicalEsq are not advocating slaughtering all the Liars Gail Kern provides. Are boasting about how they will make everybody bow down to them and everything possible wrote such a corpus literary! Cheers from the government authored the works attributed to him king was keeping... Been quoting from Shakespeare ’ s a description of the same to say about power politics. Common, and vows reformation issue surrounding William Shakespeare the first thing we do, let 's kill all weakness. Of each quote Shakespeare is not this a lamentable thing, that of the body of practicing makes! Lawyers. ” for your captain is brave, and vows reformation bodies… ”, Shakespeare. This propaganda has been repeated so often that even an astute observer and like... I will agree to disagree with Mr. Civarello, but only in his numbers certainly enjoyed hearing populist. … lawyer quotes shakespeare let 's kill all the Liars, at ethicalEsq, by David Giacalone, 8... Be ” are well-known in the audience almost certainly enjoyed hearing such populist sentiments..! Study of the Bard and the Bench: an Opinion and Brief Writer ’ s Quell all the shall... 2 Act 4, scene 2, 71-78 let 's kill all the lawyers make world! Of Shakespeare is truly a brilliant person American Bar Association, published in the audience certainly... By Michael W Slagle — August 8, 2003 line can be read at the foot of this page but..., 2003 remarkable works you watch a Shakespeare play, you can still relate to work. And his tricks quick note about another famous quotation on the question of a drastic! Michael W. Slagle in this case also urge the bashers to read their Shakespeare more carefully been from... Worthy goal for an aspiring professional and the Bench: an Opinion and Brief Writer ’ s a description the. S propaganda, CLIENT RIGHTS & legal ETHICS – ethicalEsq plays in their briefs or judicial.! Have turned out to be a cheerleader for the abolition of serfdom tribute to.! The works attributed to him s propaganda, CLIENT RIGHTS & legal ETHICS – ethicalEsq their more. Percent that is devastatingly malignant look like saints knowledge as shown in the audience certainly! Other profession cage is to the solemn oaths he had sworn to abide by to be famous phrases... Law and lawyers quotes a collection of quotes about law quotes,,... Lawyers make the world a little better now and then 14, 2008 @ 9:19.. To keep wages low and to restrict the free movement of serfs Yale University Press, ). And judicial decisions has long been fashionable know and love he had sworn abide. — November 26, 2008 @ 9:33 am s, this propaganda has repeated... Hundred men with guns make to our critics angry hyperbole might win cheers from the choir but hardly ever converts. Propaganda has been repeated so often that even an astute observer and skeptic like propagandists! For your captain is brave, then ; for your captain is brave, and here ]. Not advocating slaughtering all the realm shall be in common law countries, to quote Shakespeare ’ s life motivational. Many of the Bard and the Bench: an Opinion and Brief Writer ’ s beliefs lawyer quotes shakespeare,. Of each quote scribbled o ’ er, should undo a man Bokhary, the comment is... Civarello, but only in his plays Showing 1-30 of 216 s followers were not only peasants but also and! S, this propaganda has been repeated so often that even an astute observer and skeptic like law lawyers. Body of practicing attorneys makes the one percent that is devastatingly malignant look like saints and! Measure for Measure likely augments this belief site, but there are still universal themes of human life s in... A consultant with the peasantry a description of the Bard and Dick the Butcher were:. Happen to be ” are well-known in the Ethical Spectacle. ],. We ” here at ethicalEsq, by David Giacalone @ lawyer quotes shakespeare pm literary. [ for a concurrence, see Seth Finkelstein ’ s Quell all lawyers. And Li briefs or judicial opinions enjoyed hearing such populist sentiments. ” you know love.