This critical study explores the many conflicting interpretations of a pardoxical and disarming play that breaks most of the rules and yet, like Cleopatra herself, manages to make "defect perfection". As well as chapters on Shakespeare's methods of characterization, on construction, sources and historical background, Professor Muir provides a detailed scene-by-scene commentary: themes and characters are viewed and reviewed from several angles, providing the student a rounded appeeciation of the play.