Reissued with an essay on Macbeth this is a collection of essays on Shakespeare's tragedies.

Preface and acknowledgements; Preface to the updated edition; 1. Introduction; 2. The avoidance of love: a reading of King Lear; 3. Othello and the stake of the other; 4. Coriolanus and interpretation of politics; 5. Hamlet's burden of proof; 6. Recounting gains, showing losses: reading The Winter's Tale; 7. Macbeth appalled; Index of names and titles.