Introduction to Shakespeare |
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actor admirable appeared ardent Ben Jonson Betterton Burbage character close comedy criticism D'Avenant death despair dramatic dramatist Drury Lane Earl earlier early edition Edmund Kean Elizabethan English errors essay Falstaff father Folio Garrick genius Halliwell-Phillipps Hamlet heart HENRY CONDELL historical honour human imagination Introduction and Notes James Burbage Jonson Julius Cæsar Kean Kemble King Henry King John King Lear King Richard King Richard II later literature lived London Love's Labour's Lost Lucrece Malone Marlowe marriage Merry Wives mirth moral noble Othello passion performance players poems poet poet's printed probably published quarto Queen reader Richard Burbage romantic Romeo and Juliet scene seems Shake Shakespeare's plays Shakespearian Shylock Sonnets speare speare's spectators spirit stage Steevens Stratford studies Tempest theatre Thomas Timon tion Titus Andronicus tragedy tragic Troilus Twelfth Night Venus and Adonis verse volume wife William Shakespeare Wives of Windsor writes youth
Popular passages
Page 31 - Master Jonson (like the former) was built far higher in learning ; solid, but slow in his performances. Shakespeare, with the English man of war, lesser in bulk, but lighter in sailing, could turn with all tides, tack about, and take advantage of all winds, by the quickness of his wit and invention.
Page 18 - Yes, trust them not: for there is an upstart crow beautified with our feathers, that with his tiger's heart, wrapt in a player's hide, supposes he is as well able to bombast out a blank verse as the best of you; and being an absolute Johannes factotum, is in his own conceit the only Shake-scene in a country.
Page 29 - Epius® Stolo® said that the Muses would speake with Plautus tongue, if they would speak Latin; so I say that the Muses would speak with Shakespeares fine filed phrase, if they would speake...
Page 10 - What years, i' faith? Vio. About your years, my lord. DUKE. Too old, by heaven : let still the woman take An elder than herself : so wears she to him, So sways she level in her husband's heart...
Page 29 - As Plautus and Seneca are accounted the best for comedy and tragedy among the Latines, so Shakespeare among the English is the most excellent in both kinds for the stage...
Page 10 - No sweet aspersion shall the heavens let fall To make this contract grow ; but barren hate, Sour-eyed disdain and discord shall bestrew The union of your bed with weeds so loathly That you shall hate it both : therefore take heed, As Hymen's lamps shall light you.
Page 136 - Advanced, and made a constellation there! Shine forth, thou Star of Poets, and with rage Or influence, chide or cheer the drooping stage, Which, since thy flight from hence, hath mourned like night, And despairs day, but for thy volume's light.
Page 132 - Soul of the age! The applause, delight, the wonder of our stage! My Shakespeare, rise! I will not lodge thee by Chaucer, or Spenser, or bid Beaumont lie A little further, to make thee a room: Thou are a monument without a tomb, And art alive still while thy book doth live And we have wits to read and praise to give.
Page 133 - Shakespeare, must enjoy a part. For though the poet's matter nature be, His art doth give the fashion; and that he Who casts to write a living line must sweat (Such as thine are), and strike the second heat Upon the Muses...