Preface to Shakespeare
Essay
|
Samuel Johnson
Preface to Shakespeare Main Text
PREFACE TO SHAKESPEARE
Together with selected notes on some of the plays
By Samuel Johnson
[Johnson published his annotated edition of Shakespeare's Plays in 1765.]
PREFACE TO SHAKESPEARE
Some of the notes to
Measure for Measure
Henry IV
Henry V
King Lear
Romeo and Juliet
Hamlet
Othello
PREFACE TO SHAKESPEARE
That praises are without reason lavished on the dead, and that the honours due only to ex...
Read Preface to Shakespeare Main Text
Preface to Shakespeare Key Facts
Full Title: Preface to Shakespeare
Author: Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)
When Written: 1800-1802
Where Written: Grasmere, England
When Published: 1800 (2nd ed.), 1802 (3rd ed.)
Literary Period: Romantic
Genre: Essay, Manifesto
Point of View: First Person
Expand Preface to Shakespeare Key Facts
Preface to Shakespeare Themes
Romanticism vs. Neoclassicism
Ordinary Life and Everyday Language
Poetry and Emotions
Poetry, Nature, and Humanity
Expand Preface to Shakespeare Themes
Preface to Shakespeare Quotations
Quote: “He sacrifices virtue to convenience and is so much more careful to please than to instruct, that he seems to write without any moral purpose.”
Explanation: Johnson says Shakespeare often tries to entertain rather than teach moral lessons. He ignores virtue when it clashes with dramatic excitement. It appears that he has no moral purpose in his writing.
Quote: “Shakespeare is above all wr...
Expand Preface to Shakespeare Quotations
Preface to Shakespeare Summary
Shakespeare’s Enduring Fame and Universal Appeal: Samuel Johnson begins his preface by saying that great writers are admired most after their death, when people can read their works without personal bias. He says that Shakespeare has passed the test of time. People have been reading his plays for more than a hundred years and continue to enjoy them. According to Johnson, only those works last long...
Expand Preface to Shakespeare Summary
Notes
Explore 11 detailed notes related to Preface to Shakespeare. Each note provides in-depth analysis, explanations, and critical insights.