ABSTRACT
Sexuality, with all its passions, pains, and pleasures, has always been a rich, compelling, varied, and attractive subject matter for works of literature. The late Canadian prime minister Pierre Trudeau, when he was still justice minister, proclaimed that the state has no place in the bedrooms of the nation, a declaration in support of individual sexual freedom and choice. Not all long-term sexual relationships are legitimized by marriage; some are not allowed to be. Some couples are prohibited from marriage; historically this is true of same-sex couples and couples from different races. Sexual activity outside of marriage when neither person is married can cause the participants trouble—that is what Claudio and Julietta are accused of in Measure for Measure. Adultery is a legal term for a married person having sexual relations with someone other than their spouse. The legal history of sexuality is a history of mistreatment and persecution of gays, lesbians, and other sexually marginalized groups.
