E-text prepared by Bill Boerst, Juliet Sutherland, and Tonya Allen Editorial note: "Shakspere" is the spelling used by the author and therefore was not changed SHAKSPERE AND MONTAIGNE An Endeavour to Explain the Tendency of 'Hamlet' from Allusions in Contemporary Works BY JACOB FEIS CONTENTS. I. INTRODUCTION II. THE BEGINNINGS OF THE ENGLISH DRAMA THE STAGE A MEDIUM FOR POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS CONTROVERSIES SHAKSPERE'S POLITICAL CREED FLORIO'S TRANSLATION OF MONTAIGNE'S ESSAYS III. MONTAIGNE IV. HAMLET V. THE CONTROVERSY BETWEEN BEN JONSON AND DEKKER MENTION OF A DISPUTE BETWEEN BEN JONSON AND SHAKSPERE IN 'THE RETURN FROM PARNASSUS' CHARACTERISTIC OF BEN JONSON BEN JONSON'S HOSTILE ATTITUDE TOWARDS SHAKSPERE DRAMATIC SKIRMISH BETWEEN BEN JONSON AND SHAKSPERE BEN JONSON'S 'POETASTER' DEKKER'S 'SATIROMASTIX' VI. 'VOLPONE,' BY BEN JONSON 'EASTWARD HOE,' BY CHAPMAN, BEN JONSON, AND MARSTON 'THE MALCONTENT,' BY JOHN MARSTON I. INTRODUCTION. It has always been a daring venture to attempt finding out Shakspere's individuality, and the range of his philosophical and political ideas, from his poetical productions. We come nearest to his feelings in his 'Sonnets;' but only a few heavy sighs, as it were, from a time of languish in his life can be heard therefrom. All the rest of those lyrical effusions, in spite of the zealous exertions of commentators full of delicate sentiment and of deep thought, remain an unsolved secret. In his historical dramas, a political creed has been pointed out, which, with some degree of certainty, may be held to have been his. From his other dramas, the most varied evidence has been drawn. A perfect maze of contradictions has been read out of them; so much so that, on this ground, we might almost despair of trustworthy results from further inquiry. The wildest and most incongruous theories have been founded upon 'Hamlet' --the drama richest in philosophical contents. Over and over again men have hoped to be able to ascertain, from this tragedy, the great master's ideas about religion. It is well-nigh impossible to say how often such attempts have been made, but the reward of the exertions has always remained unsatisfactory. On the feelings which this masterwork of dramatic art still excites to-day--nearly three hundred years after its conception--thousands have based the most different conclusions; every one being convinced of the correctness of his own impressions. There is a special literature, composed of such rendering of personal impressions which that most enigmatical of all dramas has made upon men of various disposition. Every hypothesis finds its adherents among a small group, whilst those who feel differently smile at the infatuation of their antagonists. Nothing that could give true and final satisfaction has yet been reached in this direction.