ABSTRACT
This chapter explains that Shakespeare’s characters are merely dramatic reflections of people produced by specific historical conditions. The revival of character criticism in which a number of leading critics (Bloom, Bristol, Berger, Desmet) are participating should probably consider reading characters in terms of their orientations rather than in terms of the actions they take or fail to take; for if Shakespeare’s characters are as complex as they are believed to be, then it is pointless to try to know who they really are. Knowing who a person is an illusion; the only thing we may know about someone is what he or she wants to be. A reading strategy based upon characters’ orientations rather than the actions they take or fail to take will by no means solve the interpretive disagreements so characteristic of Shakespearean criticism – indeed, of all literary criticism. It is also crucial to consider the dialogical dimension of Shakespeare’s characterisation.
