This volume investigates how Shakespearean texts and performances function as sites for the construction and contestation of human embodiment through the lenses of gender, race, and sexuality. Edited by Valerie Traub, a prominent scholar in early modern studies, the text synthesizes contributions from forty international experts to establish an intersectional framework for analyzing the body in Shakespeare’s work. By integrating historical context with contemporary theoretical methodologies, the handbook argues for a more nuanced understanding of how identity categories intersect within the early modern period and their subsequent reception.

Scholars and students of early modern literature frequently cite this work as a comprehensive reference for advanced theoretical inquiry into Shakespearean embodiment. Experts highlight the text's academic density and its success in bridging traditional historicist methods with contemporary critical theory.