In his foreward to the volume, Clifford Davidson praises Guilfoyle's application of the concept of scenic form in her study of Hamlet, Othello, and King Lear, and her exposition of Shakespeare's historical consciousness, noting her "sensitive examination of the shape of the playwright's scenes when placed against traditional visual configurations and related textual resonances." Any student of Shakespeare will benefit from the nuanced study of his imagery and how it helps to color his characters and the action in his plays.