William Shakespeare is defined by his tragedies. His unique ability to create a moral universe complete unto itself lends his characters not only their stamp of authenticity but their bid to eternity as well. New full-length critical essays take up the Bard’s tragic dramas, offering new perspectives on the fated lives of King Lear, Hamlet, Macbeth, Antony, and Cleopatra, and the many other vibrantly flawed personages he introduced to the world stage. This new edition also contains a chronology, a bibliography, an index, and an introductory essay from Yale University’s Harold Bloom.