Relating this study to current anxieties about the problem of violence,
R.A. Foakes reveals how similar concerns are central in Shakespeare's
plays. At first Shakespeare exploited spectacular violence for its
entertainment value, but in later plays he explored a range of issues
relating to war, heroism, manliness, and violence in nature as well as
in human beings. This book examines the development of Shakespeare's
representations of violence and explains their importance in shaping his
career as a dramatist.