Arden Shakespeare and Theory provides a comprehensive analysis of the theoretical developments that have dominated Shakespeare studies in recent years, as well as those that are emerging at the present moment. Each volume provides: · a clear definition of a particular theory; · a survey of its major theorists and critics; · an analysis of its significance in Shakespeare studies; · a summary of relevant political, social and economic contexts; · a wealth of suggested resources for further investigation. Reception Theory provides readers with a unique overview and understanding of the ways in which both audiences and readers have reacted to Shakespeare's works historically and in the present. This study demonstrates how recent emphases on a reader's and a spectator's role in the creation of meaning might allow us to contemplate Shakespeare's work in fresh and often provocative ways. Among the plays included as case studies are A Midsummer Night's Dream, Hamlet , The Tempest , King Lear and Henry V . Shakespeare and Reception Theory pays close attention to early modern modes of interaction in the playhouse alongside more recent assumptions that underlie spectating and performing.