Azdak, the unconventional judge of Nuka, becomes known throughout the land as a Robin Hood figure who champions justice for those deserving of it—not for those corrupt individuals who attempt to bribe or sway him to rule in their favor. In each case he hears, he sits in his judge’s chair atop an unusual cushion—a Statute Book, full of laws and legal precedents. Azdak’s custom of sitting on top of the Statute Book while judging a case symbolizes his idiosyncratic nature, his unusual methods, and his desire to topple precedent in order to do what is right and just at any cost.
The Statute Book Quotes in The Caucasian Chalk Circle
The The Caucasian Chalk Circle quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Statute Book. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Act 4
Quotes
“If you don’t treat it with respect, the law just disappears on you.”
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Explanation and Analysis:
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The Statute Book Symbol Timeline in The Caucasian Chalk Circle
The timeline below shows where the symbol The Statute Book appears in The Caucasian Chalk Circle. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Act 4: The Story of the Judge
Azdak calls for Shauwa to bring him his Statute Book , and begins looking through it to find out what punishment he might receive from...
(full context)
Act 5: The Chalk Circle
...wine, and Azdak now asks Shauwa to bring him “something for [his] backside”—Shauwa places the Statute Book on the judge’s chair, and Azdak sits down upon it.
(full context)
