Arden Shakespeare and Theory provides a comprehensive analysis of thetheoretical developments that have dominated Shakespeare studies in recentyears, as well as those that are emerging at the present moment. Eachvolume provides: a clear definition of a particular theory; a survey of its major theorists and critics; an analysis of its significance in Shakespeare studies; a summary of relevant political, social, and economic contexts; a wealth of suggested resources for further investigation.Combining close attention to Shakespearean texts and the conditions oftheir production with an explicit left-wing political affiliation, culturalmaterialism offers readers a radical avenue through which to engage withShakespeare and his world. Shakespeare and Cultural Materialist Theorycharts the inception and development of this theory, setting out its centraltenets and analysing the work of key thinkers such as Alan Sinfield, JonathanDollimore, Raymond Williams and Ania Loomba.