Sibylle Baumbach's study offers new insight into Shakespeare's modes of characterisation, and his art of performance. In Shakespeare's plays, the human face is a focal point. As an area where expression and impression meet (and, ideally, correspond), its reliability and trustworthiness are frequently put to the test, sparking off a controversy which serves as a significant and highly challenging subtext to the overall plot.

This book deals with the poetics of the human face, the art of physiognomy, and strategies of nonverbal communication in Shakespeare's plays. It offers new insight into Shakespeare's modes of characterisation, and his art of performance. In Shakespeare's plays, the human face is a focal point. As an area where expression and impression meet (and, ideally, correspond), its reliability and trustworthiness are frequently put to the test, sparking off a controversy which serves as a significant and highly challenging subtext to the overall plot. Professor Baumbach studied at Heidelberg, Cambridge and Munich, and has taught at the universities of Warwick, Giessen, and Stanford. She is now at the University of Innsbruck. Her publications include "'Let me behold thy face'-- Physiognomik und Gesichtslektueren in Shakespeares Tragoedien" (2007), "An Introduction to the Study of Plays and Drama" (as co-author, 2009), and "Literature and Fascination" (2015.