PREFACE TO SHAKESPEARE BY SAMUEL JOHNSON

Criticism on Shakespeare by Samuel Johnson, in which he discusses the greatness and faults of Shakespeare as a dramatist.

1. Preface to Shakespeare by Samuel Johnson Prepared by Rahul Kokni Adhyapak Sahayak (English) Seth P. T. Arts and Science College, Godhra ( Panchmahal ) Affiliated to Shri Govind Guru University, Godhra, Gujarat, India

2. About the Author Samuel Johnson: A Life of Independence and Achievement (1709-1784) Born on September 18, 1709, in Lichfield, Staffordshire, Samuel Johnson was physically handicapped with bad eyesight and partial deafness. Despite his handicaps, he was determined to be independent and learned other skills. Johnson attended Lichfield grammar schools and Stourbridge, where he was recognized as a leader. After leaving Oxford University in 1729 due to financial difficulties, he went into depression and contemplated suicide.

3. Cont… In 1732, he moved to Birmingham and married Elizabeth Porter, who helped him recover from depression. Johnson published his first book, a translation, in 1732. He opened a private school in London with financial support, but the venture was unsuccessful. In 1737, he moved to London, where he worked as a translator and writer. Johnson wrote his tragedy Irene, An Account of the Life of Mr. Richard Savage , and a pamphlet on Macbeth.

4. Cont… In 1745, he published a pamphlet on Macbeth and began thinking about publishing an English Dictionary. He published the Oxford English Dictionary in 1755, a collaborative work of over 70 scholars. Johnson's last great work, The Plays of William Shakespeare , was published in October 1765. He suffered a stroke in 1783 and died quietly on 13 December 1784. His friends William Gerard Hamilton and James Boswell later wrote The Life of Samuel Johnson , presenting him as an extraordinary man.

5. Works Essays The Rambler (1750–52) The Adventurer (1753–54) The Idler (1758–60) Poetry London (1738) The Vanity of Human Wishes (1749) Irene, a Tragedy (1749)

6. Cont… Biographies Life of Mr Richard Savage (1744) Preface to the Plays of William Shakespeare (1765) The Plays of William Shakespeare (1765) Lives of the Poets (1779–81) Dictionaries A Dictionary of the English Language (1755)

7. Samuel Johnson's Preface to Shakespeare (1765) Johnson published his Proposal for Printing by Subscription, The Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare, in 1756. Despite initial promises, Johnson was unable to deliver the work within the promised time, leading to criticism from poet Charles Churchill. Johnson restarted work on his edition of Shakespeare, which was published in 1765. The Preface, a critical analysis of Shakespeare, enumerates his "excellencies" and "defects."

8. Cont… Johnson's Preface includes sections on his critical analysis of Shakespeare as a dramatist and his editorial methods. Johnson argues that antiquity should be honored, especially in the arts, based on "length of duration and continuity of esteem." He presents Shakespeare as timeless and universal, but also a product of his age and time. Johnson maintains a balance of praise and blame for Shakespeare, distinguishing between his appeal to his contemporaries and future generations. He believes that Shakespeare is admired for the representation of universal truths, not for depicting his own customs and manners.

9. "Shakespeare as a Poet of Nature" Johnson praises Shakespeare as a "poet of nature," reflecting universal human passions and principles. He appreciates that Shakespeare's characters are distinctly individualized, not just focusing on love. Johnson refutes criticism that Shakespeare represents noble characters as buffoons and drunkards, stating that he always prioritizes nature over accident.

10. Cont… He views Shakespeare's plays as representations of sublunary nature, exhibiting good and evil, joy and sorrow. Johnson believes that mingled drama, which includes both tragedy and comedy, instructs and delights, and does not diminish or weaken the passions the dramatist aims to represent. He believes that variety contributes to pleasure, unlike the mingling of tragic and comic scenes.

11. Shakespeare – A Genius in Writing Comedy Considers Shakespeare a genius in comedy writing. Agrees with Rhymer on Shakespeare's natural flair for comedy. Argues that Shakespeare had to work hard for tragic scenes, but his comic scenes were spontaneous. Asserts that his comic dialogues were derived from life's common intercourse, ensuring their appeal hasn't diminished over time.

12. Shakespeare's Faults: A Critique by Johnson Johnson's Views on Shakespeare Johnson distinguishes between art and life, stating that audience enjoyment is directly proportional to the realism of the characters. He criticizes Shakespeare for not sacrificing "virtue to convenience" and for not having a clear moral purpose. Johnson criticizes Shakespeare for not justifying good and evil, and for sacrificing the virtue of Cordelier.

13. Cont… Faults with Shakespeare's Plots Johnson finds Shakespeare's plots loosely formed and not pursued with diligence. He criticizes Shakespeare for not utilizing opportunities to instruct and delight, and for not laboring enough towards the ending of his plays. He also finds Shakespeare guilty of violating chronology and verisimilitude relating to time and place.

14. Cont… Critiques of Shakespeare's Comedy Scenes Johnson finds Shakespeare's language coarse and the jests gross in many comic dialogues. He finds Shakespeare's narration often verbose and prolix, full of verbiage and unnecessary repetition. He finds his set speeches "cold and weak" and his language high-sounding and not appropriate to the sentiment or thought he wishes to express.

15. Cont… Critiques of Shakespeare's Tragic Scenes Johnson finds Shakespeare's tragic scenes marred by a sudden drop in emotional temperature caused by some infelicity of language. He criticizes Shakespeare's fondness for a quibble and his desire for a quibble.

16. Shakespeare's Violation of The Unities 18th-century critics viewed Shakespeare's violation of the unities of time and place as a defect. Johnson argues that Histories, unlike tragedies, maintain unity of action and follow Aristotelian rules. Critics argue that the unities of time and place are not tenable and are not necessary for dramatic credibility.

17. Cont… Johnson argues that all art is artifice and the audience is aware of this. He argues that if the audience can imagine the lapse of time and place between acts, they can imagine the same for tragic actions. Johnson argues that the audience's pleasure lies in the enactment of realities, not in the belief that the actions are happening in reality.

18. Shakespeare and Elizabethan England: A Critical Analysis Johnson's analysis of Elizabethan England suggests that literature was confined to scholars and high-rank individuals, with the general public relying on popular romances. Shakespeare often used these romance sources as the foundation for his plays, allowing non-learned spectators to follow the story. Johnson suggests that Shakespeare's learning was influenced by English translations of foreign works, not his knowledge of French and Italian.

19. Cont… He attributes Shakespeare's excellence to his own genius, aided by his close personal observation and experience of life. Johnson identifies Shakespeare as a pioneer, stating that he is always original and comparable only to Homer in his invention. He is credited with establishing the harmony of blank verse and discovering the qualities of the English language for smoothness and harmony.

20. Shakespeare's Texts and Johnson's Edition The Preface discusses the lack of authentic texts, Shakespeare's indifference to publishing, and Johnson's own editorial methods. Most of Shakespeare's plays were published seven years after his death, leading to corrupted texts. Other factors contributing to text corruption include the printing method, use of copiers, mutilation of speeches, and Shakespeare's ungrammatical writing style. The fourth Folio of Shakespeare's plays was published in 1685.

21. Cont… Several editions of Shakespeare were published between 1709 and 1765, including: Nicolos Rowe's First Edition (1709): Modernized spellings, marked character entrances and exits, added a biography of Shakespeare. Alexander Pope's Edition (1725): More mutilation of the text due to arbitrary emendations. Lewis Theobald's Edition (1734): Based his texts on the Quartos and the first Folio. Sir Thomas Hamner's Edition (1744): Was of little value. Warburton's Edition (1747): Was not of much significance.

22. Johnson's Editorial Method of Shakespeare's Plays Acknowledges his debt to predecessors and includes their Prefaces in his edition. Contributes to a variorum edition of Shakespeare's plays, including different versions of lines and passages. Carries three types of notes: illustrative, judicial, and emendatory.

23. Cont… Exercises restraint in making emendations, neither superfluous nor scrupulously reserved. Has successfully shed light on obscure passages, making them more understandable. Leaves interpretation of ununderstood passages to posterity. Balances "presumption and timidity" by trusting publishers and avoiding conjectural criticism.

24. Johnson's Advice to Shakespeare's Readers Encourages readers to enjoy the complete play without interruption. Encourages readers to use notes to understand individual lines and passages. Encourages readers to form their own judgement about Shakespeare's plays. Criticizes notes as "necessary evils" and warns against flawed judgement. Acknowledges that Shakespeare's work is not perfect. Acknowledges Shakespeare's natural learning and possesses the "largest and most comprehensive soul."

25. Johnson's Achievement in Literature Johnson's Preface to Shakespeare is a significant literary critique, despite its limitations. Johnson defended Shakespeare for not adhering to time and place rules and for combining tragic and comic elements. His judgement relied on the text's impact, not its rule-adherence. Johnson provided a comparative and historical basis for criticism, highlighting Shakespeare's universality and understanding of human nature.

26. Cont… Despite his limitations, Johnson's editorial method was superior to his time's, with restraint in emendations. Critics argue Johnson's neo-classical beliefs and preference for comedies over tragedies. Despite his shortcomings, Johnson's achievements outweigh his shortcomings, earning him the nickname "The Age of Johnson."

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