ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book. The book demonstrates how psychoanalytic and literary interpretations not only throw possible light upon some of Shakespeare's most notable characters, but also upon present psychological states, upon current human relationships, and upon contemporary theories. Psychoanalysis has developed an enduring interest in literature, just as literary criticism has not been averse to drawing upon various possibilities thrown up by psychoanalysis. While psychoanalytic writing is the richest of the psychologies in interpreting Shakespeare's characters, suggesting helpful parallels to contemporary psychological ideas, it is not the only one. Shakespeare's characters provide a rich resource for psychologists, mainly of the psychoanalytic persuasion, to play with their interpretations. Shakespeare draws upon observation and a depth of insight that prefigures, and even overshadows, later attempts to reflect upon the nature of personality, and of human relationships.
