Shakespeare's late plays are a 'mixed bag' with a common theme: from the fiendishly jealous Leontes to the saintly Pericles; from the ineffectual Cymbeline to the omnipotent Propspero; from the 'sprites and goblins' of The Tempest to the famous bear of The Winter's Tale, the characters have excited wonder and contempt while the range of incident is almost irresponsibly extravagant. Was Shakespeare losing his grip, or his interest, or both? Was he striking out in some bold new theatrical direction? This Guide provides a critical survey of the major debates and issues surrounding the late plays, from the earliest published accounts to the present day. Nicholas Potter offers a clear guiding narrative and an exploration of literary history, focusing on how criticism of these remarkable works, and attempts to make sense of them, have developed over the years.

This Reader's Guide provides a critical survey of the responses to this popular play, from the earliest published accounts to the present day. Leading the reader through the material in a chronological fashion, the book draws on a rich range of critical writings, including Dr. Johnson, Coleridge, Bradley, and Leavis. Nicholas Potter carefully relates this material to more general issues regarding Shakespearean criticism and scholarship, and the development of literary history and theory.

"Othello" is a major Shakespearean text, studied widely and often adapted for film and TV and especially challenging for a multicultural society. "Othello" lends itself to criticism through discussion of the major characters although this study will also focus on recent criticism's analysis of the characters as 'signifiers'. The study of the key characters takes the discussion of the text immediately into the central issues of 'otherness', gender, race and power. The guide includes: an introductory overview of the text, including a brief discussion of the background to the play including its publishing and reception history; an overview of the narrative structure; chapters discussing in detail the representation of the key characters including Othello, Iago and Desdemona as well as the more minor characters; a conclusion reminding students of the links between the characters and the key themes and issues and a guide to further reading."Character Studies" aims to promote sophisticated literary analysis through the concept of character. It demonstrates the necessity of linking character analysis to texts' themes, issues and ideas, and encourages students to embrace the complexity of literary characters and the texts in which they appear. The series thus fosters close critical reading and evidence-based discussion, as well as an engagement with historical context, and with literary criticism and theory.