Shakespeare's tragedies contain an astonishing variety of suffering, from suicides and murders to dismemberments and grief. Stanley Wells considers how the bard

Macbeth clutches an imaginary dagger; Hamlet holds up Yorick's skull; Lear enters with Cordelia in his arms. Do these memorable and iconic moments have anything

An accessible introduction to early English theatre, from the late medieval period to 1642.

Twelve plays are examined individually regarding their origins, stage and critical histories and the problems associated with their categorization as tragedy.