William Shakespeare: A Critical Study
Unveiling the Genius of Shakespeare: A Scholarly CritiqueBy Georg Brandes
Length31h 5m
About this audiobook
Georg Brandes' "William Shakespeare: A Critical Study" is a profound exploration of the Bard's unparalleled contribution to literature, scrutinizing his plays and sonnets through a contemporary lens. Brandes employs a critical style that is both analytical and accessible, carefully dissecting themes of love, power, and human nature that resonate within Shakespeare's oeuvre. Set against the backdrop of late 19th-century literary criticism, this work reflects the emerging psychological and philosophical movements of the time, positioning Shakespeare not merely as a playwright but as a timeless observer of the human condition. Georg Brandes was a pioneering Danish literary critic whose advocacy for naturalism and modernity in literature profoundly influenced European thought. His upbringing in Copenhagen and exposure to the cultural shifts of his time led him to appreciate the complexities of Shakespeare'Äôs works, giving him a unique perspective that strives to bridge the gap between past and present. Brandes'Äô fearless critiques and innovative ideas made him a leading figure in the revival of Shakespeare's relevance in the modern literary canon. This critical study is highly recommended for readers seeking a deeper understanding of Shakespeare, as it offers fresh insights into his enduring themes and characters. Brandes'Äô scholarship not only entertains but enriches the reader'Äôs appreciation of one of the greatest playwrights in history, making it an essential read for both students and enthusiasts of literature.
Audiobook details
GenreLiterary Classics
Length31 hrs 5 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateMay 19, 2021
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
85THE PSYCHOLOGY OF HAMLET
2III
86XV
3MARRIAGE—SIR THOMAS LUCY—DEPARTURE FROM STRATFORD
87HAMLET AS A DRAMA
4IV
88XVI
5LONDON—BUILDINGS, COSTUMES, MANNERS
89HAMLET AND OPHELIA
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6V
90XVII
7POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS CONDITIONS—ENGLAND'S GROWING GREATNESS
91HAMLET'S INFLUENCE ON LATER TIMES
8VI
92XVIII
9SHAKESPEARE AS ACTOR AND RETOUCHER OF OLD PLAYS—GREENE'S ATTACK
93HAMLET AS A CRITIC
10VII
94XIX
11THE "HENRY VI." TRILOGY
95ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL—ATTACKS ON PURITANISM
12VIII
96XX
13CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE AND HIS LIFE-WORK—TITUS ANDRONICUS
97MEASURE FOR MEASURE—ANGELO AND TARTUFFE
14IX
98XXI
15SHAKESPEARE'S CONCEPTION OF THE RELATIONS OF THE SEXES—HIS MARRIAGE VIEWED IN THIS LIGHT—LOVES LABOUR'S LOST—ITS MATTER AND STYLE—JOHN LYLY AND EUPHUISM—THE PERSONAL ELEMENT
99ACCESSION OF JAMES AND ANNE—RALEIGH'S FATE— SHAKESPEARE'S COMPANY BECOME HIS MAJESTY'S SERVANTS—SCOTCH INFLUENCE.
16X
100XXII
17LOVE'S LABOUR'S WON: THE FIRST SKETCH OF ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL—THE COMEDY OF ERRORS—THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA
101MACBETH—MACBETH AND HAMLET—DIFFICULTIES ARISING FROM THE STATE OF THE TEXT
18XI
102XXIII
19VENUS AND ADONIS: DESCRIPTIONS OF NATURE—THE RAPE OF LUCRECE: RELATION TO PAINTING
103OTHELLO—THE CHARACTER AND SIGNIFICANCE OF IAGO
20XII
104XXIV
21A MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM—ITS HISTORICAL CIRCUMSTANCES—ITS ARISTOCRATIC, POPULAR, COMIC, AND SUPERNATURAL ELEMENTS
105OTHELLO—THE THEME AND ITS TREATMENT—A MONOGRAPH IN THE GREAT STYLE
22XIII
106XXV
23ROMEO AND JULIET—THE TWO QUARTOS—ITS ROMANESQUE STRUCTURE—THE USE OF OLD MOTIVES—THE CONCEPTION OF LOVE
107KING LEAR—THE FEELING UNDERLYING IT—THE CHRONICLE—SIDNEY'S ARCADIA AND THE OLD PLAY
24XIV
108XXVI
25LATTER-DAY ATTACKS UPON SHAKESPEARE—THE BACONIAN THEORY—SHAKESPEARE'S KNOWLEDGE, PHYSICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL
109KING LEAR—THE TRAGEDY OF A WORLD-CATASTROPHE
26XV
110XXVII
27THE THEATRES—THEIR SITUATION AND ARRANGEMENTS—THE PLAYERS—THE POETS—POPULAR AUDIENCES—THE ARISTOCRATIC PUBLIC—SHAKESPEARE'S ARISTOCRATIC PRINCIPLES
111ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA—WHAT ATTRACTED SHAKESPEARE TO THE SUBJECT
28XVI
112XXVIII
29THE THEATRES CLOSED ON ACCOUNT OF THE PLAGUE—DID SHAKESPEARE VISIT ITALY?—PASSAGES WHICH FAVOUR THIS CONJECTURE
113THE DARK LADY AS A MODEL—THE FALL OF THE REPUBLIC A WORLD-CATASTROPHE
30XVII
114BOOK THIRD
31SHAKESPEARE TURNS TO HISTORIC DRAMA—HIS RICHARD II. AND MARLOWE'S EDWARD II.—LACK OF HUMOUR AND OF CONSISTENCY OF STYLE—ENGLISH NATIONAL PRIDE
115DISCORD AND SCORN
32XVIII
116II
33RICHARD III. PSYCHOLOGY AND MONOLOGUES—SHAKESPEARE'S POWER OF SELF-TRANSFORMATION—CONTEMPT FOR WOMEN—THE PRINCIPAL SCENES—THE CLASSIC TENDENCY OF THE TRAGEDY
117THE COURT—THE KING'S FAVOURITES AND RALEIGH
34XIX
118III
35SHAKESPEARE LOSES HIS SON—TRACES OF HIS GRIEF IN KING JOHN—THE OLD PLAY OF THE SAME NAME—DISPLACEMENT OF ITS CENTRE OF GRAVITY—ELIMINATION OF RELIGIOUS POLEMICS—RETENTION OF THE NATIONAL BASIS—PATRIOTIC SPIRIT—SHAKESPEARE KNOWS NOTHING OF THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN NORMANS AND ANGLO-SAXONS, AND IGNORES THE MAGNA CHARTA
119THE KING'S THEOLOGY AND IMPECUNIOSITY—HIS DISPUTES WITH THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
36XX
120IV
37"THE TAMING OF THE SHREW" AND "THE MERCHANT OF VENICE"—SHAKESPEARE'S PREOCCUPATION WITH THOUGHTS OF PROPERTY AND GAIN—HIS GROWING PROSPERITY—HIS ADMISSION TO THE RANKS OF THE "GENTRY"—HIS PURCHASE OF HOUSES AND LAND—MONEY TRANSACTIONS AND LAWSUITS
121THE CUSTOMS OF THE COURT
38XXI
122V
39THE MERCHANT OF VENICE—ITS SOURCES—ITS CHARACTERS, ANTONIO, PORTIA, SHYLOCK—MOONLIGHT AND MUSIC—SHAKESPEARE'S RELATION TO MUSIC
123ARABELLA STUART AND WILLIAM SEYMOUR
40XXII
124VI
41"EDWARD III." AND "ARDEN OF FEVERSHAM"—SHAKESPEARE'S DICTION—THE FIRST PART OF "HENRY IV."—FIRST INTRODUCTION OF HIS OWN EXPERIENCES OF LIFE IN THE HISTORIC DRAMA—WHY THE SUBJECT APPEALED TO HIM—TAVERN LIFE—SHAKESPEARE'S CIRCLE—SIR JOHN FALSTAFF—FALSTAFF AND THE GRACIOSO OF THE SPANISH DRAMA—RABELAIS AND SHAKESPEARE—PANURGE AND FALSTAFF
125ROCHESTER AND LADY ESSEX
42XXIII
126VII
43HENRY PERCY—THE MASTERY OF THE CHARACTER-DRAWING—HOTSPUR AND ACHILLES
127CONTEMPT OF WOMEN—TROILUS AND CRESSIDA
44XXIV
128VIII
45PRINCE HENRY—THE POINT OF DEPARTURE FOR SHAKESPEARE'S IMAGINATION—A TYPICAL ENGLISH NATIONAL HERO—THE FRESHNESS AND PERFECTION OF THE PLAY
129TROILUS AND CRESSIDA—THE HISTORICAL MATERIAL.
46XXV
130IX
47"KING HENRY IV.," SECOND PART—OLD AND NEW CHARACTERS IN IT—DETAILS—"HENRY V.," A NATIONAL DRAMA—PATRIOTISM AND CHAUVINISM—THE VISION OF A GREATER ENGLAND
131SHAKESPEARE AND CHAPMAN—SHAKESPEARE AND HOMER
48XXVI
132X
49ELIZABETH AND FALSTAFF—THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR—THE PROSAIC AND BOURGEOIS TONE OF THE PIECE—THE FAIRY SCENES
133SCORN OF WOMAN'S GUILE AND PUBLIC STUPIDITY
50XXVII
134XI
51SHAKESPEARE'S MOST BRILLIANT PERIOD—THE FEMININE TYPES BELONGING TO IT—WITTY AND HIGHBORN YOUNG WOMEN—MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING—SLAVISH FAITHFULNESS TO HIS SOURCES—BENEDICK AND BEATRICE—SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT—THE LOW-COMEDY FIGURES
135DEATH OF SHAKESPEARE'S MOTHER—CORIOLANUS—HATRED OF THE MASSES
52XXVIII
136XII
53THE INTERVAL OF SERENITY—AS YOU LIKE IT—THE ROVING SPIRIT—THE LONGING FOR NATURE—JAQUES AND SHAKESPEARE—THE PLAY A FEAST OF WIT
137CORIOLANUS AS A DRAMA
54XXIX
138XIII
55CONSUMMATE SPIRITUAL HARMONY—TWELFTH NIGHT—JIBES AT PURITANISM—THE LANGUISHING CHARACTERS—VIOLA'S INSINUATING GRACE—FAREWELL TO MIRTH
139TIMON OF ATHENS—HATRED OF MANKIND
56XXX
140XIV
57THE REVOLUTION IN SHAKESPEARE'S SOUL—THE GROWING MELANCHOLY OF THE FOLLOWING PERIOD—PESSIMISM, MISANTHROPY
141CONVALESCENCE—TRANSFORMATION—THE NEW TYPE
58BOOK SECOND
142XV
59INTRODUCTION—THE ENGLAND OF ELIZABETH IN SHAKESPEARE'S YOUTH
143PERICLES—COLLABORATION WITH WILKINS AND ROWLEY—SHAKESPEARE AND CORNEILLE
60II
144XVI
61ELIZABETH'S OLD AGE
145FRANCIS BEAUMONT AND JOHN FLETCHER
62III
146XVII
63ELIZABETH, ESSEX, AND BACON
147SHAKESPEARE AND FLETCHER—THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN AND HENRY VIII.
64IV
148XVIII
65THE FATE OF ESSEX AND SOUTHAMPTON
149CYMBELINE—THE THEME—THE POINT OF DEPARTURE—THE MORAL—THE IDYLL —IMOGEN—SHAKESPEARE AND GOETHE—SHAKESPEARE AND CALDERON
66V
150XIX
67THE DEDICATION OF THE SONNETS
151WINTER'S TALE—AN EPIC TURN—CHILDLIKE FORMS—THE PLAY AS A MUSICAL STUDY—SHAKESPEARE'S ÆSTHETIC CONFESSION OF FAITH
68VI
152XX
69THE "DARK LADY" OF THE SONNETS—MARY FITTON
153THE TEMPEST—WRITTEN FOR THE PRINCESS ELIZABETH'S WEDDING
70VII
154XXI
71PLATONISM—SHAKESPEARE'S AND MICHAEL ANGELO'S SONNETS—THE TECHNIQUE OF THE SONNETS
155SOURCES OF THE TEMPEST
72VIII
156XXII
73JULIUS CÆSAR—ITS FUNDAMENTAL DEFECT
157THE TEMPEST AS A PLAY—SHAKESPEARE AND PROSPERO—FAREWELL TO ART
74IX
158XXIII
75JULIUS CÆSAR—THE MERITS OF THE DRAMA—BRUTUS
159THE RIDE TO STRATFORD
76X
160XXIV
77BEN JONSON AND HIS ROMAN PLAYS
161STRATFORD-UPON-AVON
78XI
162XXV
79HAMLET: ITS ANTECEDENTS IN FICTION, HISTORY, AND DRAMA
163THE LAST YEARS OF SHAKESPEARE'S LIFE
80XII
164XXVI
81"HAMLET"—MONTAIGNE AND GIORDANO BRUNO—ANTECEDENTS IN ETHNOGRAPHY
165SHAKESPEARE'S DEATH
82XIII
166XXVII
83THE PERSONAL ELEMENT IN HAMLET
167CONCLUSION
84XIV
168THE END
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