Shakespeare s plays do not need to follow all three unities to be great He gave several reasons A Unity of Time Is Not Important Johnson said that a play does not have to happen in one day to be believable The audience knows that a play is not real life They can imagine that time is passing Shakespeare s plays often show many days months or even years but the audience can still understand the story B Unity of Place Is Not Important Johnson argued that a play does not have to happen in one place The audience actually knows that the stage is not real life They can imagine different places in their mind In Shakespeare's plays scenes change locations However the audience can still follow the story C Unity of Action Is Important Johnson agreed with Aristotle that a play should have one main story Shakespeare follows this rule because his plays have a clear beginning middle and end Even when Shakespeare adds extra events they connect to the main story and do not confuse the audience Plays Are Fiction Not Reality Some critics said that plays must be realistic for the audience to believe them Johnson disagreed He said that people watch plays for enjoyment not for strict realism He said The spectators are always in their senses and know that the stage is only a stage This means that the audience knows a play is not real so there is no need to follow the unities strictly Shakespeare's Strength Is in Human Nature Johnson said that Shakespeare's plays are great because they show real human emotions and behavior Shakespeare's characters are natural and believable even if the story does not follow the three unities Johnson praised Shakespeare's ability to copy real life in his plays Following Rules Does Not Make a Play Good Johnson argued that just following the unities does not make a play great What matters is how well a play tells a story and connects with human emotions Shakespeare's plays are successful because they show deep human truths not because they follow strict rules In conclusion Dr Samuel Johnson defended Shakespeare's plays against critics who believed in the three unities He explained that unity of action is important but unity of time and place is unnecessary for a good play Johnson argued that plays are fiction and the audience can imagine changes in time and place He also praised Shakespeare for his understanding of human nature which makes his plays timeless and valuable