Law & Literature

SLN #: 26972
Course Prefix: LAW-791
Course Section: 028
Credit Hours: 2/3
Instructor(s): Murphy
Course Books: View List of Books

Course Description:
The seminar will explore works of literature--novels, short stories, plays, etc.--that raise important issues of law and justice. The primary, but not exclusive, emphasis will be on works concerned with punishment and responsibility. The seminar will begin with a discussion of Herman Melville's novella BILLY BUDD, SAILOR. (This novella was left unfinished at Melville's death, and many versions have been published. For this seminar, it is important that the student have the ordered edition that uses the reading text prepared by Hayford and Sealts.) After Melville, we will discuss some ancient texts such as Greek tragedies and perhaps the Book of Job. ("The past is a foreign country. They do things differently there.") and will conclude with some contemporary literature. Some of the writers that have been covered in the past: Aeschylus, Sophocles, Plato, Shakespeare, von Kleist, Camus, and Duerrenmatt.

Additional Information:
Credit Hours: 2/3
Grading Option: Numeric Grade or Letter Grade Only
Graduation Writing Requirement: No
Flexible/Upper-Level Writing Requirement: No
Skills Requirement: No
Simulation Course: No
Experiential Learning: No
Seminar: No
Prerequisite: None
Special Withdrawal Course: No
Limited Enrollment Number: Seminar: Limited to 15 students
Final Exam Given: Yes
Final Exam Type: Take-Home
Paper Or In-Class Presentation: Students wishing to earn 3 rather than 2 credits must submit a brief paper in addition to the take home examination
Participation Points: Yes
Attendance Policy: Per Statement Of Student Policies
Additional Attendance Policy: Students who miss one class will be cautioned. Students who miss two classes may be withdrawn with a grade of 64.

* The law school has a policy that is used to calculate credit hours. Please see the Statement of Student Policies.