Project Gutenberg 2004-08-01 Public domain in the USA. 125 De Quincey, Thomas 1785 1859 Quincey, Thomas de Quincy, Thomas de Kvinsi, Tomas de DeQuincey, Thomas Biographical Essays Shakespeare -- Pope -- Charles Lamb -- Goethe -- Schiller. Produced by Robert Prince, Juliet Sutherland, Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team "Biographical Essays" by Thomas De Quincey is a collection of critical essays produced in the early 19th century. This work examines the lives and influences of significant literary figures, initiating with an exploration of William Shakespeare, aimed at illuminating the complexities and contexts surrounding these historical icons. The opening of the essay focuses on William Shakespeare's life, discussing the scant details of his early years despite his monumental impact on literature. De Quincey reflects on the uncertainty surrounding the precise date and circumstances of Shakespeare's birth, introducing various theories regarding his time of baptism and the connection to his eventual fame. He further analyzes Shakespeare’s familial background, the challenges faced by his father, and the social dynamics of Stratford-upon-Avon, ultimately suggesting that these factors may have shaped Shakespeare's literary career. Through a blend of historical inquiry and literary critique, De Quincey's introductory exploration sets the tone for a deeper examination of Shakespeare's life and legacy. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 50.0 (College-level). Difficult to read. en Pope, Alexander, 1688-1744 Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von, 1749-1832 Schiller, Friedrich, 1759-1805 Lamb, Charles, 1775-1834 PR Text Category: Biographies Category: Essays, Letters & Speeches Category: British Literature 524122 2025-07-03T07:10:44.657655 text/html 523943 2025-01-09T22:35:04.365695 text/html 280894 2025-07-03T07:10:51.930611 application/epub+zip 287471 2025-07-03T07:10:47.321579 application/epub+zip 268795 2025-07-03T07:10:46.255595 application/epub+zip 479998 2025-07-03T07:10:55.654598 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 454583 2025-07-03T07:10:51.278675 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 428434 2022-09-03T11:12:38.879636 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 502892 2025-07-03T07:10:44.209634 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 497985 2020-12-29T14:43:06 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 18432 2025-07-03T07:10:55.778563 application/rdf+xml 13958 2025-07-03T07:10:46.738605 image/jpeg 3428 2025-07-03T07:10:46.495621 image/jpeg 195571 2020-12-29T14:43:06 application/octet-stream application/zip 276906 2025-07-03T07:10:44.699639 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