This book examines the often tragic and nearly always disabling metaphor of the theatrum mundi world-as-stage, as it plays itself out in the characters of Mary Shelley's novels.

Studying her major works with a theatrical approach not only reveals thematic pattern, but also suggests a strong link to the Gothic and sensibility novels of the eighteenth century.

Acknowledgments 1. Introduction 2. Roots of Mary Shelley's Dramatic Sensibility 3. Frankenstein: Storytelling as Dramatic Performance 4. Mathilda: Life as Theatrical Production 5. The Last Man: Autobiography as Drama 6. Valperga: Theatrical Plots and Dramatic Intrigue 7. Perkin Warbeck: Problematic Roles and Identities 8. Lodore: Public Spectacle and Private Lives 9. Falkner: The Illusion of Romance 10. Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index