Late Shakespeare

Late Shakespeare presents a new vision of character, metaphor, and politics in the late plays. It closely analyses Shakespeare's use of language and genre, showing how the plays revamp theatrical decorums. These plays are not courtly, sober, and escapist, as their reputation suggests. They are peculiarly sensitive to the turbulent, unfinished quality of his historical moment. In both court and wilderness, Shakespeare analyses the violence of authority, the tensions in language, and the origin and prospects of both.