Welcome back to the home of the oxymoron. Evil genius. He asked the newspaper to print his obituary early so he'd enjoy it. That's like hiding at your own funeral. Yeah, a big, great gig. I'm Russell Kane. Join me to weigh in on whether the biggest players in history are more evil or genius. Becoming that rich, I'd say that is some level of genius. It also helps that it's a long time ago, right?

It's like the podcast version of telling your kids the ice cream van plays music

when it's out of ice cream.

Listen to Evil Genius on BBC Sounds.

Later this evening, we'll return to this evening's prom with a performance of DeBuse's music for King Lear his unfinished work.

But in our prom's extra, we thought we'd delve into the relationship between Shakespeare and the legal profession.

Productive bedfellows, though sometimes grisly ones. The first thing we do,

let's kill all the lawyers, announcers Dick the Butcher, enthusiastic henchman to the rebel leader

in Henry VI, Part 2. Shakespeare exhibits a knowing relationship with the law and those who meet

it out.

The grim bargain struck over the pound of flesh and its interpretation in the Merchant of Venice is about contract.

An unwise, will and testament unleashes the drama in King Lear.

Measure for Measure plays on conflicts about what we understand by equity and fair reward. The plays often used legal

dilemmas to enshrine more far-reaching moral conundrums, and many of those are as lively today as

they were in the Elizabethan era. Who better to join me in our proms court of opinion this evening

than one of our foremost QCs and human rights

lawyers, Geoffrey Robertson. He's also written on Shakespeare and the Law of his Day. And our

discussion this evening will be illustrated with readings delivered from someone else who's

no Shakespeare stranger, the actor Bill Patterson. Welcome to you both. So, Jeffrey, let's set the scene,

if we could. Describe the role of law in English society in Shakespeare's lifetime.

In the Elizabethan age, running into King James I, we have the most extraordinary development of

English law, because English society is

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