Late Shakespeare, 1608 1613

A team of leading international Shakespeare scholars provides a critical reappraisal of the final phase of Shakespeare's writing life. Containing original scholarly approaches to the last seven extant plays, the volume includes dedicated chapters on Coriolanus and Shakespeare's two late co-authored plays, King Henry VIII and The Two Noble Kinsmen.

In fourteen specially commissioned chapters by leading Shakespeare scholars from around the globe, Late Shakespeare, 1608–1613 provides an essential reappraisal of the final phase of Shakespeare's writing life. Arranged for the first time in the best-established chronological sequence, Shakespeare's last seven extant plays are discussed in detail in dedicated chapters, from Pericles to the other late co-authored works, King Henry VIII and The Two Noble Kinsmen. The plays are situated in the context of Shakespeare's financial investments, his focus on the practice of reading, the changing nature of his acting company and the pressing issues of contemporary politics and urban life. The book also goes on to explore the relationship between Shakespeare and his audience and considers the dominant themes in his final works. Analysing and responding to the latest criticism in the field, this volume brings to light a vital re-examination of what it means to discuss 'late Shakespeare'.