Shakespeare's Sense of Character

This is the latest of my three scholarly publications on Shakespeare. Co-edited with Prof. Yu Jin Ko of Wellesley College, our book brings scholars and theatre practitioners together to rethink why and how character continues to matter. Contributors seek in particular to expand our notions of what Shakespearean character is, and to extend the range of critical vocabularies in which character criticism can work. The return to character thus involves incorporating as well as contesting postmodern ideas that have radically revised our conceptions of subjectivity and selfhood. At the same time, by engaging theatre practitioners, this book promotes the kind of comprehensive dialogue that is necessary for the common endeavor of sustaining the vitality of Shakespeare's characters.

Reviews:

“One of the collection's strongest features is its organization [...] which makes the collection feel like a unified whole, a rarity in books of essays” Choice
'The virtues of this volume are many ... The dialogue is not serendipitous, but a result of editorial care. The essays also demonstrate that academic prose can be smart, stimulating, and pleasurable; that scholarly debates can be passionate but civil; and above all, that character-based approaches are integral to our engagement with Shakespearean selves in a postmodern world.”-16th Century Journal