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 intrinsically dramatic? Starting with four great plays (Inherit the Wind, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, A Few Good Men, and Twelve Angry Men), we will chart components of a court case (opening arguments, presentation of evidence, examination and cross examination of witnesses, etc.), and assess the degree to which “performance” can contribute to a good prosecution or defense, focusing specifically on that ubiquitously dramatized legal aria, the closing argument. Additional source material will include court transcripts, Supreme Court opinions, films and excerpts of televised trials, as well as a selection of famous closing arguments.