Sara M. Butler is the King George III Professor in British History at the Ohio State University. She is the author of three books: The Language of Abuse: Marital Violence in Later Medieval England, Divorce in Medieval England: From One to Two Persons in Law, and Forensic Medicine and Death Investigation in Medieval England.
'Butler's book is a drastic revision of the prevalent obsolete narratives of the birth and development of English law. Butler shows that peine forte et dure was neither a barbaric, irrational penalty, nor prevalent, nor English, nor secular. Embedding legal practices in the intellectual and religious climate of the time, this book is a path-breaking, thought-provoking study.' Esther Cohen, Hebrew University of Jerusalem 'This is an important and richly rewarding book. Sara M. Butler triumphantly rescues peine forte et dure from its position as an awkward footnote to the history of the jury to the centre of an investigation into the meaning and purpose of the medieval English criminal trial and its consequences. Silence, in Butler's erudite and wide-ranging analysis, becomes exceptionally eloquent.' Richard W. Ireland, Senior Lecturer Emeritus, Aberystwyth University 'The accused stands mute in medieval court, ready to undergo torment rather than plead. What can explain this scene? In this engrossing study, Sara M. Butler takes us beyond the confines of legal history, exploring forgotten worlds of religious and cultural meaning.' James Q. Whitman, Yale Law School 'Sara Butler's magnificent new book recasts medieval legal history. … both a thoroughly engaging history and a scholarly tour de force.' Elizabeth Allen, Modern Philology