The Critics Versus Shakspere by Francis Asbury Smith

Read now or download (free!)

Choose how to read this book Url Size
Read online (web) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/27485.html.images 167 kB
EPUB3 (E-readers incl. Send-to-Kindle) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/27485.epub3.images 141 kB
EPUB (older E-readers) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/27485.epub.images 142 kB
EPUB (no images, older E-readers) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/27485.epub.noimages 122 kB
Kindle https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/27485.kf8.images 268 kB
older Kindles https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/27485.kindle.images 263 kB
Plain Text UTF-8 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/27485.txt.utf-8 146 kB
Download HTML (zip) https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/27485/pg27485-h.zip 137 kB
There may be more files related to this item.

About this eBook

Author Smith, Francis Asbury, 1837-1915
LoC No. 07008252
Title The Critics Versus Shakspere
A Brief for the Defendant
Note Reading ease score: 52.2 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read.
Credits Produced by Marilynda Fraser-Cunliffe, Carla Foust and the
Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
(This file was made using scans of public domain works
from the University of Michigan Digital Libraries.)
Summary "The Critics Versus Shakspere" by Francis Asbury Smith is a literary critique written in the early 20th century. This work serves as a defense of William Shakespeare against a variety of critics who question his originality and merit. Smith argues against assertions that Shakespeare simply imitated his contemporaries, presenting historical and critical evidence to support the claim of Shakespeare’s unique genius in the realm of English literature. The opening of the text establishes a context for an ongoing debate about Shakespeare's status among writers. Smith references past critics such as Ben Jonson, Voltaire, and Samuel Johnson, who have scrutinized Shakespeare’s work. He presents a detailed account of claims made against Shakespeare, such as accusations of his plays being inferior compared to those of contemporaries and his supposed lack of originality. Smith counters these critiques by highlighting how, despite numerous attempts to diminish his reputation, the broader literary consensus remains in favor of Shakespeare’s brilliance, as evidenced by his enduring popularity and the admiration he garners from later scholars and writers. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Language English
LoC Class PR: Language and Literatures: English literature
Subject Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- Authorship
Subject Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- Criticism and interpretation -- History -- 19th century
Category Text
EBook-No. 27485
Release Date
Copyright Status Public domain in the USA.
Downloads 97 downloads in the last 30 days.
Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free!