This book, first published in 1985, explores the consciousness and the experience of Shakespeare's audience. First describing the stage's physical impact, Ralph Berry then goes on to explore the social or tribal consciousness of the audience in certain plays. The title finishes by examining the masque - the salient form of the Jacobean theatre. This title will be of interest to students of literature and theatre studies.

Acknowledgments; Introduction; 1. Metamorphoses of the Stage 2. Richard III: Bonding the Audience 3. The Comedy of Errors the Subliminal Narrative 4. Discomfort in The Merchant of Venice 5. Twelfth Night: the Experience of the Audience 6. Communal Identity and the Rituals of Julius Caesar 7. Masques and Dumb Shows in Webster 8. Shakespeare and Chivalry 9. The Masque of Henry VIII; Notes; Index