Contents: Vol. I. Introduction. Characters of intellect: 1. Portia. 2. Isabella. 3. Beatrice. 4. Rosalind. Characters of passion and imagination: 1. Juliet. 2. Helena. 3. Perdita. 4. Viola. 5. Ophelia. 6. Miranda.

Vol. II. Characters of the affections: 1. Hermione. 2. Desdemona. 3. Imogen. 4. Cordelia. Historical characters: 1. Cleopatra. 2. Octavia. 3. Volumnia. 4. Constance of Bretagne. 5. Elinor of Guienne. 6. Blanche of castile. 7. Margaret of Anjou. 8. Katherine of Arragon. 9. Lady Macbeth.

"Long out-of-print, this reissue of Shakespeare's Heroines, complete with author Anna Jameson's provocative introduction and complemented with W. Paget's charming pen-and-ink wash illustrations, is as important today as it was groundbreaking when it was first published in 1832. The first in-depth exploration of Shakespeare's female characters (twenty-one of the bard's best-known plays), this is a must-have for Shakespeare collectors, students of feminist theory and gender roles, and scholars and anyone else with an interest in the Victorian era." (jacket)