Maytag dishwasher starts and stops

I tried to run my Maytag dishwasher yesterday but it would not turn on. I tried it at several different points during the cycle but nothing happened. I left the door shut and the dial at some point in the normal cycle. An hour later I realized that the dishwasher was running but then it shut off during the light cycle only to turn back on briefly and shut back off. Any ideas on where to start would be helpful. Thank you.