Literature and the Law of Nations, 1580-1680

LiteratureandtheLawofNations,1580-1680isaliteraryhistoryofinternationallawintheageofShakespeare,Milton,Grotius,andHobbes.SeekingtorevisethewaysscholarsunderstandearlymodernEnglishliteratureinrelationtothehistoryofinternationallaw,itarguesthatscholarsoflawandliteraturehavetacitlyacceptedspeciousbutpoliticallyconsequentialassumptionsaboutwhetherinternationallawis"real"law.LiteratureandtheLawofNationsshowshowmajorwritersoftheEnglishRenaissancedeployedgenreslikeepic,tragedy,comedy,tragicomedy,andhistorytosolidifythecanonicalsubjectsandobjectsofmoderninternationallaw.BydemonstratinghowRenaissanceliterarygenresinformedmoderncategorieslikepublicinternationallaw,privateinternationallaw,internationallegalpersonality,andhumanrights,thebookoveritssevenchaptersandconclusionhelpsearlymodernliteraryscholarsthinkanewaboutthelegalentailmentsofgenreandscholarsinlawandliteraturelongaccustomedtotreatingalllawwithasinglebroadbrushbetterconfrontthedistinctcomplexities,faultlines,andvariegatedhistoriesattheheartofinternationallaw.