Shakespeare absorbed more deeply the problem of the tensions between the public and private face of man than other Elizabethan dramatists. Originally published in 1983, this book examines the ways in which this psychological insight is developed and modified as a source of dramatic power throughout Shakespeare's career.

Preface. 1. Early Work 2. The Major Histories: Richard II, Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2 and Henry V 3. The Problem Plays: Troilus and Cressida, All's Well that Ends Well and Measure for Measure 4. Hamlet 5. Othello 6. King Lear 7. Macbeth 8. The Roman Plays: Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra and Coriolanus 9. The Late Romances. Bibliography. Index.