Project Gutenberg 2004-04-01 Public domain in the USA. 822 Johnson, Samuel 1709 1784 Preface to Shakespeare Steve Harris, Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team "Preface to Shakespeare" by Samuel Johnson is a critical analysis and commentary on the works of William Shakespeare, written in the mid-18th century. Johnson delves into Shakespeare's literary merit, his understanding of human nature, and the nuances of his storytelling, while also promoting an appreciation for the playwright's timeless relevance in both literature and society. The opening of this work establishes Johnson's intent to critique the common notions surrounding Shakespeare's legacy. He discusses how society often favors the reverence of antiquity over contemporary excellence and investigates the reasons Shakespeare's works continue to endure. Johnson reflects on the nature of Shakespeare's characters, emphasizing their representation of universal human emotions rather than specific traits tied to their contexts. He also critiques the conventions of drama and engages with the historical context of Shakespeare's writing, showcasing his unique ability to blend tragedy with comedy in ways that reflect the realities of life. Through this thoughtful introduction, Johnson sets the stage for a thorough examination of Shakespeare's plays and their enduring significance. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 48.8 (College-level). Difficult to read. en Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 PR Text Category: Essays, Letters & Speeches Category: British Literature 169648 2025-08-03T04:20:06.229476 text/html 169469 2025-01-09T19:21:58.501442 text/html 133018 2025-08-03T04:20:11.483376 application/epub+zip 133725 2025-08-03T04:20:08.734369 application/epub+zip 119455 2025-08-03T04:20:07.721414 application/epub+zip 256651 2025-08-03T04:20:13.701354 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 243674 2025-08-03T04:20:10.888392 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 200922 2022-09-03T07:24:14.136303 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 154469 2025-08-03T04:20:05.967398 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 149520 2020-12-28T20:44:10 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 17030 2025-08-03T04:20:14.068414 application/rdf+xml 13650 2025-08-03T04:20:08.209386 image/jpeg 3858 2025-08-03T04:20:07.965372 image/jpeg 57695 2020-12-28T20:44:10 application/octet-stream application/zip 130964 2025-08-03T04:20:06.244434 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia