Rule of Law and State of Exception in Arts

Abstract

This study takes the graphic novel V for Vendetta as a reference for the debate on the relationship between citizens and a Government based on authoritarian laws, in which we can identify a “Rule of Law” not at all democratic. Moreover, it proposes a discussion over the strategies that in the plot are used to overcome the state of exception, in a dialogue with the political theories of Walter Benjamin, Carl Schmitt e Giorgio Agamben. Published in the 80s in England, V for Vendetta was written as a critical instrument against the government of Margaret Thatcher, marked by authoritarian and conservative elements. In the graphic novel, revolution and anarchy seemed to be the only way to promote a real change in the authoritarian government (in the state of exception) of the story. It is an interesting illustration that provokes the reader to the polarization of two ideas: on the one hand, the call for a strong and centralized power able to promote order and to fight war and instability; on the other, the apology of anarchy as a resource to fight the subjection of citizens and despotism. In order to discuss those ideas we resort to authors such as Hardt and Negri that claim that we can live in a world dominated by the masses. V for Vendetta is an up-to-date story that can be useful for the discussions on State of Exception and Rule of Law. One can easily find some of its elements in today’s society, such as the constant struggle of certain groups against the illegitimate control of the State. Besides, it provide us with a striking example of a literary work that exceeds its own pages and have become a symbolic living part of our time, as the mask of the protagonist has been used for many protesters around the globe.