Alternative Shakespeares: Volume 2 consists of nine entirely new essays by some of the world's leading Shakespearean critics, plus an invaluable introduction by Terence Hawkes and an afterword by the editor of the first volume, John Drakakis. The topics include: sexuality and gender language and power race and Shakespeare's Britain new historicist criticism the 'gaze' of the audience blackface make-up in Othello In abandoning forever the search for any final and definitive 'meaning' in any of Shakespeare's plays, the contributors to Alternative Shakespeares: Volume 2 present an exciting and ultimately liberating challenge to Shakespeare studies. This is Shakespeare for the 21st century. Ania Loomba, Stanford University; Philip Armstrong, University of Auckland; Bruce Smith, Georgetown University; Keir Elam, Universita di Firenze; Margreta de Grazia, University of London; Steven Mulla