Law and love
Book Description
In this thought-provoking exploration, Paul W. Kahn uses Shakespeare's King Lear as a lens to examine one of humanity's most enduring tensions: the conflict between legal order and human love. Drawing from the tragic depths of the play, Kahn reveals how Western culture carries within it a profound ambivalence about law itself.
The author presents law as simultaneously our salvation and our curse. On one hand, legal systems represent humanity's triumph over chaos and natural disorder. On the other, they embody our tragic inability to transcend personal desires and self-serving motivations. This duality creates an ongoing struggle within the human soul.
Through careful analysis of Lear's characters and themes, Kahn illuminates how political demands clash with the requirements of genuine love and connection. The play becomes a meditation on what governance costs us psychologically and spiritually. While these themes echo Christian concerns about sacrifice and moral choice, Kahn shows how Shakespeare strips away any promise of redemption, leaving us to confront irreconcilable contradictions.
This interdisciplinary work bridges literary analysis with legal philosophy, offering fresh perspectives on familiar characters while expanding our understanding of how law shapes cultural consciousness. For readers seeking to understand the deeper forces that govern both society and the human heart, Kahn provides a compelling framework for examining these eternal questions about justice, power, and authentic relationship.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~6 hours)
📄 Length: 203 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore History and criticism
- ✓ Explore Kings and rulers in literature
- ✓ Explore 17th century
- ✓ Understand spiritual ethics
- ✓ Understand the nature of love
- ✓ Explore Lear, King (Legendary character), in literature
- ✓ Explore English Political plays
- ✓ Explore Trials in literature
