King Lear Edited and with an introduction by Harold Bloom

Includes bibliographical references and index.

"Harold Bloom is one of the most influential and controversial of contemporary Shakespeare critics. These essays examine the sources and impact of Bloom's Shakespearean criticism from a variety of theoretical and political positions. Through focused and sustained study of Bloom as literary icon and of his Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human, they address a wide range of issues, from the cultural role of Shakespeare to the ethics of literary theory and criticism. Harold Bloom's Shakespeare brings together well-known Shakespearean critics and younger voices from within the profession. Collectively, the authors of these essays provide a fresh look at literary history and suggest new directions being taken by leading literary theorists. Through the lens of contemporary opinions about the Bard, Harold Bloom's Shakespeare offers a broad understanding of the state of literary studies in our time."--BOOK JACKET.