In this illuminating study, Anthony Dawson surveys the stage history of Hamlet from its appearance in Shakespeare's time to the efflorescence of new and challenging productions in our own.

This book examines the varied uses of illusion, deceit, disguise, and manipulation in the plays, both comedies and tragedies, and traces Shakespeare's use of illusion through his career — from the buoyant optimism of the great comedies ...

Here is a book written primarily for playgoers. Looking closely at eighteen plays, Anthony Dawson examines key decisions that actors and directors have to make, and shows how different interpretations flow from these decisions.

How was the experience of watching a play influenced by practices beyond the walls of the playhouse, and what were the broader social and historical implications of the culture of playgoing? The book sets out to answer such questions.