The White Devil is one of the most violent and most fascinating plays in English theatrical history. It is also a notoriously challenging work; this volume offers a practical, accessible and thought-provoking guide to the play, surveying its major themes and critical reception. It also provides a detailed and up-to-date history of the play's performance, beginning with its first staging in 1611 staging and ending with the RSC's 2014 revival. Moving through to four new critical essays, it opens up cutting-edge perspectives on the work, and finishes with a practical guide to pedagogical approaches and resources. Detailing web-based and production-related resources, and including an annotated bibliography of critical works, the guide will equip teachers and facilitate students' understanding of this complex play.

Paul Frazer is Lecturer in English at Northumbria University, UK. Adam Hansen is Senior Lecturer in English at Northumbria University, UK.

i] Series Introduction (Andrew Hiscock, University of Wales, Bangor, UK and Lisa Hopkins, Sheffield Hallam University, UK)

ii] The White Devil Timeline (Paul Frazer and Adam Hansen, Northumbria University, UK)

iii] Introduction (Paul Frazer and Adam Hansen, Northumbria University, UK)

iv] The Critical Backstory (Jem Bloomfield, Nottingham University, UK)

v] Performance History (Eva Griffith)

vii] New Directions:

1. Ritual Dissonance in The White Devil (David Coleman, Queen's University Belfast, UK)

2. Swerving Soteriologies in The White Devil (Paul Frazer, Northumbria University, UK)

3. The White Devil as Political Resistance (Christina Luckyj, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada)

4. The Look of Love?: Pornography and The White Devil's 'terrible vision' (Adam Hansen, Northumbria University, UK)

viii] Resources (James Hirsh, Georgia State University, USA)