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Why do the Capulets bite their thumbs at the Montagues? Why do the Venetians spit upon Shylock's Jewish gaberdine? What is it about Volumnia's act of kneeling that convinces Coriolanus not to assault the city of Rome?Shakespeare's Body Language is a groundbreaking new study of Shakespearean drama, revealing the previously unseen history of how social tensions are found within the performance of gestures, and how such gestures are used as a powerful form of control to shame others within the body politic of early modern England. It offers startling new insights into the motivations behind gesticular performance and the effects of their staging. Featuring in-depth analyses of plays across Shakespeare's career, this book explores how the playwright's understanding of shame and humiliation is rooted in performance anxiety and gender politics, explaining how theatrical gestures can create dramatic tension in a way that words alone cannot.