WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE A CRITICAL STUDY BY GEORGE BRANDES LONDON WILLIAM HEINEMANN 1905 This Work is published in Copenhagen in Three Volumes, represented by the Three Books of this translation. The First Book and half of the Second are translated by Mr. WILLIAM ARCHER; the last half of the Second Book by Mr. ARCHER, assisted by Miss MARY MORISON; the Third Book by Miss DIANA WHITE, also with the assistance of Miss MORISON. The proofs of the whole Work have been revised by Dr. BRANDES himself. CONTENTS BOOK FIRST I. A BIOGRAPHY OF SHAKESPEARE DIFFICULT BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE II. STRATFORD--PARENTAGE--BOYHOOD III. MARRIAGE--SIR THOMAS LUCY--DEPARTURE FROM STRATFORD IV. LONDON--BUILDINGS, COSTUMES, MANNERS V. POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS CONDITIONS--ENGLAND'S GROWING GREATNESS VI. SHAKESPEARE AS ACTOR AND RETOUCHER OF OLD PLAYS--GREENE'S ATTACK VII. THE "HENRY VI." TRILOGY VIII. CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE AND HIS LIFE-WORK--TITUS ANDRONICUS IX. SHAKESPEARE'S CONCEPTION OF THE RELATIONS OF THE SEXES--HIS MARRIAGE VIEWED IN THIS LIGHT--LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST--ITS MATTER AND STYLE--JOHN LYLY AND EUPHUISM--THE PERSONAL ELEMENT X. LOVE'S LABOUR'S WON: THE FIRST SKETCH OF ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS--THE COMEDY OF ERRORS--THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA XI. VENUS AND ADONIS: DESCRIPTIONS OF NATURE--THE RAPE OF LUCRECE: RELATION TO PAINTING XII. A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM--ITS HISTORICAL CIRCUMSTANCES--ITS ARISTOCRATIC, POPULAR, COMIC, AND SUPERNATURAL ELEMENTS XIII. ROMEO AND JULIET--THE TWO QUARTOS--ITS ROMANESQUE STRUCTURE--THE USE OF OLD MOTIVES--THE CONCEPTION OF LOVE XIV. LATTER-DAY ATTACKS UPON SHAKESPEARE--THE BACONIAN THEORY--SHAKESPEARE'S KNOWLEDGE, PHYSICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL XV. THE THEATRES--THEIR SITUATION AND ARRANGEMENTS--THE PLAYERS--THE POETS--POPULAR AUDIENCES--THE ARISTOCRATIC PUBLIC--SHAKESPEARE'S ARISTOCRATIC PRINCIPLES XVI. THE THEATRES CLOSED ON ACCOUNT OF THE PLAGUE--DID SHAKESPEARE VISIT ITALY?--PASSAGES WHICH FAVOUR THIS CONJECTURE XVII. SHAKESPEARE TURNS TO HISTORIC DRAMA--HIS RICHARD II. AND MARLOWE'S EDWARD II.--LACK OF HUMOUR AND OF CONSISTENCY OF STYLE--ENGLISH NATIONAL PRIDE XVIII. RICHARD III.--PSYCHOLOGY AND MONOLOGUES--SHAKESPEARE'S POWER OF SELF-TRANSFORMATION--CONTEMPT FOR WOMEN--THE PRINCIPAL SCENES--THE CLASSIC TENDENCY OF THE TRAGEDY