Cover -- Contents -- General Editor's Preface -- A Note on Editions -- Introduction: Looking at Plays and Studying Poetry -- PART 1 ANALYSING SHAKESPEARE'S PROBLEM PLAYS -- 1 Openings -- 2 Young Men -- 3 Women -- 4 Politics and Society -- 5 Fools and fools -- 6 Drama -- PART 2 THE CONTEXT AND THE CRITICS -- 7 The Problem Plays in Shakespeare's Works -- 8 The Context -- 9 A Sample of Critical Views -- Further Reading -- Index.