Closing Arguments: the Courtroom on Stage
In this course we will examine the relationship between the courtroom and the theatre: what is it about the trial setting that makes it so dramatic? Starting with four great plays (Inherit the Wind, Twelve Angry Men, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, and A Few Good Men) we will chart the components of a court case, and assess, among other things, the role of “performance” in a good prosecution or defense. We will give special attention to the role of the trial lawyer. To what extent are they an actor, or a playwright? Who is their audience? What are their objectives and obstacles? And to what extent is “acting” essential to the success of that ubiquitously dramatized legal aria, the closing argument. We will also study some of the great closing arguments of the last 100 years and analyze the elements of their success.