Drawing upon the work of anthropologists, psychologists and sociologists, Marjorie Garber examines the rites of passage and maturation patterns - 'coming of age' - in Shakespeare's plays. Citing examples from virtually the entire Shakespeare canon, she pays particular attention to the way his characters grow and change at points of personal crisis. Among the crises Garber discusses are: separation from parents or siblings in preparation for taking a lover or spouse the use of names and nicknames as a sign of individual exploits or status virginity, sexual initiation and the acceptance of sexual maturity, childbearing and parenthood attitudes toward death and dying In this fascinating and original analysis, Marjorie Garber explores the ways in which the Shakespearean protagonist is challenged to change as his or her circumstances change, to adapt to the world and the people around him, and to come to terms with the nature and finitude of the human condition.
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