*Note: This section on Shakespeare criticism from the sixteenth century forward will soon become more extensive, so it will be maintained on this separate page.
C21-20 English to ~1929 | C19 English ~1830-1901 Victorian | C19 English ~1789-1829 Romantic | C19 French & German | C18 English Neoclassical — 1751-1788 | C18 English Neoclassical — 1701-1750 | C18 French & German | C17-C16 English Renaissance & Restoration
LITERARY CRITICISM RELATED TO SHAKESPEARE
- C21-C20 Criticism — to ~1929 + see bibliographies below
- Best Books about Shakespeare List (Goodreads)
- Bibliography of Shakespeare Studies (Drake)
- A. C. Bradley’s Shakespearean Tragedy, 2nd ed. 1919 (Gutenberg)
- T. S. Eliot’s “Hamlet and His Problems” 1920 (Gutenberg)
- H. Granville-Barker’s From Henry V to Hamlet, 1925 (HathiTrust)
- E. Jones’s “Oedipus Complex … Hamlet’s Mystery” 1910 (Wikisource)
- F. S. Boas’s Shakespeare and his Predecessors 1896/1900 (HathiTrust)
- C19 English Criticism — Victorian (~1830-1901)
- T. Carlyle’s On Heroes, Hero-Worship … see Lect. III. 1841 (HathiTrust)
- E. Dowden’s Shakspere: A Critical Study of His Mind … 1875 (Google Books)
- R. W. Emerson’s Representative Men … see Lect. V. 1841 (HathiTrust)
- H. Hallam’s Intro. to the literature of Europe … Vol 1, 1837 (HathiTrust) | 2 | 3 | 4
- W. Pater’s Appreciations: with an essay on style 1889 (HathiTrust)
- W. Pater’s Studies in the History of the Renaissance 1873 (HathiTrust)
- C19 English Criticism — Romantic & Regency (~1789-1829)
- T. Bowdler’s “A Letter to the Editor …” e-pg 31ff 1823 (HathiTrust)
- S. T. Coleridge’s Biographia Literaria 1817 (HathiTrust)
- S. T. Coleridge’s Notes & Lectures on Shakespeare 1811-1819 (Gutenberg)
- J. P. Kemble’s Macbeth, and King Richard the Third … 1817 (HathiTrust)
- T. De Quincey’s “… Knocking at the Gate in Macbeth” 1823 (Shakespeare-online)
- W. Hazlitt’s Characters of Shakespeare’s Plays 1817 (Gutenberg)
- W. Hazlitt … An Introduction to the Appreciation of Literature 1805ff (Gutenberg)
- Eliz. Inchbald’s British Theatre, see vols. 1-5 of 25 1806-09 (HathiTrust)
- J. Keats’ The Letters of John Keats, 1816-20, ed. M. Forman 1895 (HathiTrust)
- C. Lamb’s “On the Tragedies of Shakespeare” 1811 (Bartleby)
- Eliz. Montagu’s Essay on the Writings … of Shakespeare 1810 (Google)
- T. L. Peacock’s “The Four Ages of Poetry,” 1820 (Poetry Foundation)
- W. Wordsworth’s Prose Works, 2 vols. 1793-1835 ed. W. Knight (HathiTrust)
- C19 French & German Criticism
- Gustav Freytag’s Technique of the Drama … 1863 (HathiTrust)
- A. W. Schlegel’s Lectures on Dramatic Art 23-27, 1809-1811 (Gutenberg)
- Stendhal’s Racine et Shakespeare 1823 (Google Books)
- C18 English Enlightenment/Neoclassical Criticism — 1751-1788
- Lady’s Magazine 1770-1832 and … Lit. History, J. Batchelor (Edinburgh U)
- Charlotte Lennox’s Shakespear illustrated, or the novels … 1753-54 (HathiTrust)
- H. Blair’s Lectures on Rhetoric and Belles Lettres, 2 vols.1759/89 (HathiTrust)
- Eliz. Griffith’s Morality of Shakespeare’s Drama Illustrated 1775 (HathiTrust)
- H. Home, Lord Kames’ Elements of Criticism, 3 vols.1761-62 (U-Mich C18)
- D. Hume’s History of England, Vol. 4, 521ff Append., “Learning …” 1758 (U-Mich)
- Samuel Johnson’s Edition of Shakespeare , 8 vols. with notes 1765 (HathiTrust)
- Johnson’s Essays and Notes, Sel. 1750s-60s (HathiTrust)
- Johnson’s Essays Republished (Blog by Matt Kirkland)
- Johnson’s Notes to Shakespeare, Vol. I. 1765 (Gutenberg) | Vol. III
- Johnson’s Preface to Shakespeare with some notes 1765 (Gutenberg)
- Shakespeare and Samuel Johnson, 2015 (theshakespeareblog)
- Charlotte Lennox’s Shakespear illustrated, or the novels … 1753-54 (HathiTrust)
- W. Kenrick’s A review of Doctor Johnson’s … Shakespeare 1765 (ECCO/U-Mich)
- R. Farmer’s An Essay on the Learning of Shakespeare, 2nd ed. 1767 (ECCO/U-Mich)
- Mrs. Eliz. Montagu’s An Essay on the Writings … of Shakespeare 1769 (Google)
- Ed. Taylor’s Cursory Remarks on Tragedy, on Shakespear … 1774 (HathiTrust)
- W. Kenrick’s Introduction to the School of Shakespeare 1774 (ECCO/U-Mich)
- T. Warton’s The History of English Poetry … 1775 (HathiTrust)
- Eliz. Griffith’s The Morality of Shakespeare’s Drama Illustrated 1775 (HathiTrust)
- M. Morgann’s Essay on … Sir John Falstaff 1775/1912 (Internet Archive)
- E. Capell’s Notes and Various Readings to Shakespeare 1779 (HathiTrust)
- E. Malone’s Supplement to 1778 Ed. Of Shakespeare 1780 (HathiTrust)
- H. Mackenzie in The Mirror, Edinburgh N. XCIX and C, 1780/1825 (HathiTrust)
- W. Richardson’s A philosophical analysis and illustration … 1780(HathiTrust)
- J. Ritson’s Remarks, critical and illustrative … 1783 (HathiTrust)
- T. Davies, Dramatic miscellanies … critical observations, 3 vols. 1785 (HathiTrust)
- J. M. Mason’s Comments on the last edition … 1785 (HathiTrust)
- T. Whately’s Remarks on some of the characters … reissue of 1785 ed. (HathiTrust)
- H. Mackenzie’s “Falstaff” in The Lounger, Vol. 2 #68-69, 1785-86 (HathiTrust)
- J. Ritson’s The quip modest, a few words … 1788 (HathiTrust)
- C18 English Enlightenment/Neoclassical Criticism — 1701-1750
- Addison & Steele. The Tatler 1709-1711 (Gutenberg)
- Addison & Steele. The Spectator Vols. 1-3, 1711-12, 1714 (Gutenberg)
- J. Dennis’ … On the genius and writings of Shakespeare 1712 (EEBO/U-Mich)
- C. Gildon’s The complete art of poetry … 1718 (HathiTrust)
- C. Gildon’s An Essay on the Art, Rise, … in Rowe v. 7, 1714 (HathiTrust)
- T. Hanmer’s “Preface” to Shakespeare in 6 vols., 1744 (HathiTrust)
- A. Pope’s “Preface of the Editor” in Shakespeare 1725 (Internet Archive)
- N. Rowe’s “Some Account of the Life …” in Shakespear 1709 (HathiTrust)
- L. Theobald’s “Preface” to Shakespeare in 7 vols., 1733 (HathiTrust)
- W. Warburton’s “Preface” to Shakespeare in 8 vols., 1747 (HathiTrust)
- T. Whalley’s An Enquiry into the Learning … 1748 (Internet Archive)
- C18 French & German Criticism
- Voltaire’s Appel à toutes les nations … 1761 (Google Books)
- Voltaire’s Criticism of Shakespeare: Essay (Voltaire Fndn.)
- ‘Beyond too much’: Shakespearean excesses in the 18th century (Voltaire Fndn.)
- C17-C16 English Renaissance & Restoration Criticism — 1590s-1700
- J. Munro’s Shakspere Allusion Book … Vol. 1, 1591-1700, 1909 (Internet Archive)
- J. Munro’s Shakspere Allusion Book … Vol. 2, 1591-1700, 1909 (Internet Archive)
- Marg. Cavendish’s CCXI Sociable Letters, esp. 123, 162; 1664 (EEBO/U-Mich)
- S. Daniel’s A Defence of Rhyme … 1603 (Renascence Eds.)
- J. Dryden’s An Essay of Dramatick Poesie, 1668 (EEBO/U-Mich) | Gutenberg
- C. Gildon’s Lives and characters of the English dramatick … 1699 (HathiTrust)
- S. Gosson’s The Schoole of Abuse … 1579 (EEBO/U-Mich)
- R. Greene’s Groats-Worth of Wit … 1592 (Renascence/Luminarium)
- Ben Jonson’s Timber, or Discoveries … 1641 (HathiTrust)
- T. Rymer’s A Defence of dramatick poetry … 1698 (EEBO/U-Mich)
- F. Meres’s Palladis Tamia, second part … 1598 (EEBO/U-Mich)
- Sir P. Sidney’s An Apologie for Poetrie 1595 (EEBO/U-Mich)
- E. Spenser’s Teares of the Muses 1591 (U of Oregon)
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Document Timestamp: 1/1/2025 at 4:08 PM