Legal Definitions - effigy

An effigy is a figure, image, or other representation, often crudely made, of a person. It is typically created and displayed to express strong public feelings, such as protest, disapproval, or ridicule, towards the individual it represents.

• Example 1: During a public demonstration against a proposed new development, local residents constructed a large, caricatured doll resembling the city council member who championed the project. They placed it prominently at the protest site, holding signs that criticized the council member's policies.

  Explanation: This illustrates an effigy as a crude representation of a specific person (the council member) used to express public disapproval and protest against their actions.

• Example 2: In a historical reenactment depicting a peasant revolt, participants paraded a straw figure dressed in elaborate robes, labeled with the name of a tyrannical historical monarch. The figure was then symbolically "overthrown" as part of the theatrical performance.

  Explanation: Here, the straw figure serves as an effigy, a symbolic representation of a disliked or oppressive historical figure, used to convey the sentiment of rebellion and disapproval from that era.

• Example 3: Striking factory workers created an oversized, exaggerated puppet of their company's CEO, depicting him with an enormous wallet and a dismissive expression. They displayed this puppet outside the factory gates daily to symbolize their grievances regarding unfair wages and working conditions.

  Explanation: This example shows an effigy as a symbolic and often exaggerated representation of an individual (the CEO) used by a group to express collective disapproval and highlight perceived injustices.