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Timeline of Shakespeare criticism is an informal term that presents a chronological collection of critical quotations about William Shakespeare and his works, which illustrate the article Shakespeare's reputation. Shakespeare enjoyed recognition in his own time, but in the 17th century, poets and authors began to consider him as the supreme dramatist and poet of all times of the English language. In fact, even today, no other dramatist has been performed even remotely as often on the British (and later the world) stage as Shakespeare Since then, several editors and critics of theater began to focus on the dramatic text and the language of Shakespeare, creating a study that focused on extracting all the power of his literary texts, being used in studies on the printed page rather than in the theater. This attitude reached a high point with the Romantics, which saw his figure as a genius, prophet, and Bard – and continued important in the last century, receiving analysis not only by poets and authors, but also by psychoanalysts, psychologists and philosophers. ==17th century== Ben Jonson, 1630: "I remember the players have often mentioned it as an honor to Shakespeare, that in his writing, whatsoever he penned, he never blotted out a line. My answer hath been, 'Would he had blotted a thousand,' which they thought a malevolent speech. I had not told posterity this but for their ignorance, who chose that circumstance to commend their friend by wherein he most faulted; and to justify mine own candor, for I loved the man, and do honor his memory on this side idolatry as much as any. He was, indeed, honest, and of an open and free nature; had an excellent fancy, brave notions, and gentle expressions, wherein he flowed with that facility that sometime it was necessary he should be stopped. 'Sufflaminandus erat,' as Augustus said of Haterius. His wit was in his own power; would the rule of it had been so too. Many times he fell into those things, could not escape laughter, as when he said in the person of Caesar, one speaking to him: 'Caesar, thou dost me wrong.' He replied: 'Caesar did never wrong but with just cause;' and such like, which were ridiculous. But he redeemed his vices with his virtues. There was ever more in him to be praised than to be pardoned." ("Timber" or "Discoveries" ) John Milton, 1632: "On Shakespeare" :What needs my Shakespeare for his honour'd Bones, :The labour of an age in piled Stones, :Or that his hallow'd reliques should be hid :Under a Star-ypointing Pyramid? :Dear son of memory, great heir of Fame, :What need'st thou such weak witnes of thy name? :Thou in our wonder and astonishment :Hast built thy self a live-long Monument. :For whilst to th' shame of slow-endeavouring art, :Thy easie numbers flow, and that each heart :Hath from the leaves of thy unvalu'd Book, :Those Delphick lines with deep impression took, :Then thou our fancy of it self bereaving, :Dost make us Marble with too much conceaving; :And so Sepulcher'd in such pomp dost lie, :That Kings for such a Tomb would wish to die. "On Shakespeare" was Milton's first published poem & appeared (anonymously) in the 2nd folio of plays by Shakespeare (1632) as "An Epitaph on the admirable Dramaticke Poet, W.SHAKESPEARE". Samuel Pepys, diary entry for 29 September, 1662: "This day my oaths of drinking wine and going to plays are out, and so I do resolve to take a liberty to-day, and then to fall to them again. To the King's Theatre, where we saw "''Midsummer's Night's Dream'' ()," which I had never seen before, nor shall ever again, for it is the most insipid ridiculous play that ever I saw in my life. I saw, I confess, some good dancing and some handsome women, which was all my pleasure." John Dryden, 1668: "To begin then with Shakespeare; he was the man who of all Modern, and perhaps Ancient Poets, had the largest and most comprehensive soul. All the Images of Nature were still present to him, and he drew them not laboriously, but luckily: when he describes any thing, you more than see it, you feel it too. Those who accuse him to have wanted learning, give him the greater commendation: he was naturally learn'd; he needed not the spectacles of Books to read Nature; he look'd inwards, and found her there." (''Essay of Dramatic Poesy'' ) Thomas Rymer (neo-classical "rules" and "classical unities" extremist), 1692: "The Moral, sure, of this Fable () is very instructive. First, This may be a caution to all Maidens of Quality how, without their Parents consent, they run away with Blackamoors. Secondly, This may be a warning to all good Wives, that they look well to their Linnen. Thirdly, This may be a lesson to Husbands, that before their Jealousie be Tragical, the proofs may be Mathematical". (Rymer's notorious (attack on ''Othello'' ) ultimately did Shakespeare's reputation more good than harm, by firing up John Dryden, John Dennis and other influential critics into writing eloquent replies.) Samuel Cobb (1675–1713), translator and master at Christ's Hospital: :"Yet He with Plautus could instruct and please, :And what requir'd long toil, perform with ease :Tho' sometimes Rude, Unpolish'd, and Undress'd, :His Sentence flows more careless than the rest. :But when his Muse complying with his Will, :Deigns with informing heat his Breast to fill, :Then hear him Thunder in the pompous strain :Of Aeschylus, or sooth in Ovid's Vein. :Then in his Artless Tragedies I see, :What Nature seldom gives, Propriety." From ''Poetica Brittanici'' (1700). Cobb provides an example of the diffusion of Jonson's concept of Shakespeare as the "child of nature." 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Timeline of Shakespeare criticism」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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