May it please the court

Is this a question or a hope?

One of my professors said you say "may it please the court" and then wait for them to say yes as just a formality. But "May it please the court" does not 'feel' like a question to me, at least because the few times I've had to observe actual court hearings, the justices don't respond.

So... question or subjunctive or some other use?

I would call it a rhetorical formality, not a question so much as a ritualized phrasing.

It is the expression of a wish, rather than a question: "May it [i.e. that which is to follow] please the court".

Cf. "May you burn in hell", "May you live in interesting times".

While some older grammars would describe this as a subjunctive usage, on the model of other languages, it might be better described as a modal construction.

<<I would call it a rhetorical formality, not a question so much as a ritualized phrasing.>>


That's irrelevant to the grammar.

Thanks ya'll!