An Essay on the Genius of Shakespeare: With Critical Remarks on the Characters of Romeo, Hamlet, Juliet, and Ophelia ; Together with Some Observations on the Writings of Sir Walter Scott. To which is Annexed, A Letter to Lord -----, Containing a Critique on Taste, Judgment, and Rhetorical Expression, and Remarks on the Leading Actors of the Day ...J. Bigg, 1826 - 206 pages |
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Page 4
... strike at once on the heart , enter into all its feelings , and enchain all its attentions . Let the eye throw but a cur- sory glance on them , ' tis irresistibly impelled to fix its most earnest gaze . While engaged in his scenes , you ...
... strike at once on the heart , enter into all its feelings , and enchain all its attentions . Let the eye throw but a cur- sory glance on them , ' tis irresistibly impelled to fix its most earnest gaze . While engaged in his scenes , you ...
Page 13
... " dear perfection , " strike me as being very expressive . Mark the woman's love of " Take all myself . ” sweet apostrophe . I mark some of the words in ESSAY ON SHAKESPEARE . 13 Romeo's next answer discovers himself; and it ...
... " dear perfection , " strike me as being very expressive . Mark the woman's love of " Take all myself . ” sweet apostrophe . I mark some of the words in ESSAY ON SHAKESPEARE . 13 Romeo's next answer discovers himself; and it ...
Page 20
... strikes me that correct taste would place Ophelia ( before Desdemona ) as the second most interesting heroine of his plays . Juliet is , in every respect , pre - eminently the first . She loves -- she is crossed in love - her husband is ...
... strikes me that correct taste would place Ophelia ( before Desdemona ) as the second most interesting heroine of his plays . Juliet is , in every respect , pre - eminently the first . She loves -- she is crossed in love - her husband is ...
Page 28
... striking similarity . Were I to proceed further with these cha- racters , I perceive I should be led on to an im- measurable length . It was my intention to have separated them and spoken of them in the order in which they appear in the ...
... striking similarity . Were I to proceed further with these cha- racters , I perceive I should be led on to an im- measurable length . It was my intention to have separated them and spoken of them in the order in which they appear in the ...
Page 29
... strikes me that a good deal of judgment can often be perceived in the introduction of a cha- racter , either on the stage , in a poem , or in a novel . I could adduce a great many instances of ESSAY ON SHAKESPEARE . 29 succeeding author ...
... strikes me that a good deal of judgment can often be perceived in the introduction of a cha- racter , either on the stage , in a poem , or in a novel . I could adduce a great many instances of ESSAY ON SHAKESPEARE . 29 succeeding author ...
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acting actor appear beautiful biped bright eye brilliant Byron character charm colouring comedy countenance Covent Garden critic delightful divine Doricourt drama drawing-room eloquent eminently English language evince exquisite favourite feel fond Garrick genius gentleman give graceful groundlings Hamlet hand harp heard heart Highflyer humour infinitely inimitable insi insinuating instantly Juliet Kean Kemble Lady lips look Lord Lordship manner Mark melody Michael Cassio mighty mind Mirabel nature never night once Ophelia orator Othello painting passion perceive perform perhaps person play poet poetry Polonius possess powerful present day racter Ranting reader remark reply rhetorical expression Romeo Romeo and Juliet scene School for Scandal seen Shakespeare speak speech stage style suasive sweet talent taste and judgment tell Thalia theatre thee thing thou tion tones touch uncon voice wish woman words would-be would-be's write
Popular passages
Page 14 - Thou know'st the mask of night is on my face, Else would a maiden blush bepaint my cheek For that which thou hast heard me speak to-night. Fain would I dwell on form, fain, fain deny What I have spoke: but farewell compliment! Dost thou love me? I know thou wilt say 'Ay,' And I will take thy word: yet, if thou swear'st, Thou mayst prove false: at lovers' perjuries, They say, Jove laughs.
Page 60 - The observed of all observers, quite, quite down! And I, of ladies most deject and wretched, That sucked the honey of his music vows, Now see that noble and most sovereign reason, Like sweet bells jangled, out of tune and harsh ; That unmatched form and feature of blown youth Blasted with ecstasy.
Page 140 - ... twere, the mirror up to nature; to show virtue her own feature, scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time his form and pressure. Now this overdone, or come tardy off, though it make the unskilful laugh, cannot but make the judicious grieve; the censure of which one must in your allowance o'erweigh a whole theatre of others.
Page 140 - ... accent of Christians nor the gait of Christian, pagan, nor man, have so strutted and bellowed that I have thought some of Nature's journeymen had made men and not made them well, they imitated humanity so abominably.
Page 12 - What's in a name? that which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet; So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd, Retain that dear perfection which he owes Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name, And for that name which is no part of thee Take all myself.
Page 15 - I should have been more strange, I must confess, But that thou overheard'st, ere I was ware, My true love's passion: therefore pardon me, And not impute this yielding to light love, Which the dark night hath so discovered.
Page 15 - My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love as deep; the more I give to thee, The more I have, for both are infinite.
Page 21 - Wilt thou be gone ? it is not yet near day. It was the nightingale, and not the lark, That pierced the fearful hollow of thine ear; Nightly she sings on yon pomegranate tree. Believe me, love, it was the nightingale.
Page 39 - With this regard, their currents turn awry, And lose the name of action. — Soft you, now ! The fair Ophelia : — Nymph, in thy orisons Be all my sins remembered.
Page 15 - O, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon, That monthly changes in her circled orb, Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.