An Essay on the Writings and Genius of Shakespear Compared with the Greek and French Dramatic Poets: With Some Remarks Upon the Misrepresentations of Mons. de Voltaire |
What people are saying - Write a review
Reviews aren't verified, but Google checks for and removes fake content when it's identified
LibraryThing Review
User Review - JamesBoswell - LibraryThingThe admirers of this Essay may be offended at the slighting manner in which Johnson spoke of it; but let it be remembered, that he gave his honest opinion unbiassed by any prejudice, or any proud ... Read full review
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
action admired affected againſt allowed ancient ANTONY appears attention Auguftus blood Brutus Cæfar cauſe character Cinna common conduct confider Corneille critics crown death drama excite exhibited eyes fable fall fame fays fear fecret feems fentiments fhew fome force foul fpectator French friends fubjects fuch genius give grace hath hear heart Henry hero himſelf honour human imagination imitation intereſt judgment juſt kind king lady language learned living lover Macbeth manners means mind moral moſt murder muſt nature never noble object original paffion perfect perfons perhaps piece play Poet Poetry poor preſent Prince rendered Roman Rome rules ſcene ſeems Shakeſpear ſhould ſpeech ſpirit ſtage ſtate ſuch tell thee theſe thing thoſe thou thought tion tragedy tranflation turn uſe Voltaire vulgar whofe whole whoſe writers
Popular passages
Page 247 - O, you hard hearts, you cruel men of Rome, Knew you not POmpey? Many a time and oft Have you climb'd up to walls and battlements, To towers and windows, yea, to chimney-tops, Your infants in your arms, and there have sat The livelong day, with patient expectation, To see great POmpey pass the streets of Rome...
Page 260 - Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil, that men do, lives after them ; The good is oft interred with their bones ; So let it be with Caesar.
Page 265 - O, now you weep; and, I perceive, you feel The dint of pity : these are gracious drops. Kind souls, what ! weep you, when you but behold Our Caesar's vesture wounded ? Look you here, Here is himself, marr'd, as you see, with traitors.
Page 265 - And will, no doubt, with reasons answer you. I come not, friends, to steal away your hearts : I am no orator, as Brutus is ; But, as you know me all, a plain blunt man, That love my friend...
Page 254 - How that might change his nature, there's the question: It is the bright day that brings forth the adder; And that craves wary walking. Crown him? — that? And then, I grant, we put a sting in him, That at his will he may do danger with.
Page 182 - If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me, Without my stir.
Page 177 - Cromwell, I charge thee, fling away ambition : By that sin fell the angels; how can man, then, The image of his Maker, hope to win by it ? Love thyself last: cherish those hearts that hate thee ; Corruption wins not more than honesty.
Page 262 - tis his will : Let but the commons hear this testament, (Which, pardon me, I do not mean to read) And they would go and kiss dead Caesar's wounds, And dip their napkins in his sacred blood ; Yea, beg a hair of him for memory, And, dying, mention it within their wills, Bequeathing it, as a rich legacy, Unto their issue.
Page 266 - I tell you that which you yourselves do know; Show you sweet Caesar's wounds, poor poor dumb mouths, And bid them speak for me: but were I Brutus, And Brutus Antony, there were an Antony Would ruffle up your spirits and put a tongue In every wound of Caesar that should move The stones of Rome to rise and mutiny.
Page 183 - Besides, this Duncan Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been So clear in his great office, that his virtues Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against The deep damnation of his taking-off...
Bibliographic information
| Title | An Essay on the Writings and Genius of Shakespear Compared with the Greek and French Dramatic Poets: With Some Remarks Upon the Misrepresentations of Mons. de Voltaire Eighteenth century collections online |
| Author | Mrs. Montagu (Elizabeth) |
| Edition | 3 |
| Publisher | H. Hughs, 1772 |
| Original from | Oxford University |
| Digitized | 16 Jul 2007 |
| Length | 288 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |