The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1906-07-26

The perennial interest certain persons
that are densely ignorant of English
literature affect to take in Shakespeares
works illustrates the truism that fashion
leads the world by the nose.
In the first place most admirers of
Shakespeare are ignorant of the scope
and character Of the works Of that IA
nous dramatist They are incapable of
discussing the plot in any Of Shakes
peares tragedies or comedies; yea,
more, they have no clear notion as to
what constitutes plot They are in.
capable of giving an exposition of Shakes
peare insight into the springs of human
action.
They pirate Of the pre-eminence of the
writings of the Bard Of Avon but would
be at loss TO tell wherein that pre-
eminence lies They simply echo the
opinions % Of those who are destitute
Of literary taste and who have no
opinions Of their own on literary sub
jects.
The great Elizabethian writer's popu-
larity with the class last referred to is
wholly due to fashion. They know
nothing about Lessing's critical essays
on Shakespeares dramas; they know
nothing about Pope's, or Dryden's or
,Iohnson's, or Coeridges edition of
Shakespeare They know nothing Of
what the aforementioned poet, in his pro,
found disquisitiuns on the writings Of
the great dramatist in question, has done
for the reputation Of that dramatist.
They know nothing about the prefaces,
introduCtions, explanatory notes etc,
Of comparatively recent English and
American editions Of shakespeare
works They do not know that most Of
the works of the brightest luminary in
the Elizabethian literary armament are
rehashes of pre-eXistent works. They,
therefore, dono know anything about
those pre- existent works. How Shakes
peaTe, with a magic pen, transformed
Vlvifed and dramatiZed those works is n
subject they are incapable Of expatiating
upon How Shakespeare breathes the
breath Of life into a subject he touches
upon with his pen-with what wisdom
and skill he uses subjective psychology,
mentally, in Analysing and portraying
the salient principles Of objective
~, l,,gy, ON yrrittar, ,tutya b,ytv
therefore, he eXcels in the art Of define
ating character, these things they are
den4ely ignorant Of They are totally
ignorant Of the history Of the English
drama
But they are alert and tlippant They
move in what passes for cultivated
society They know that they are eX.
pected to be- familiar with Shakespeare's
works, or to pretend to be familiar with
those works. Now as they, in reality,
don't know the works in question, and
H. they have not sufficient scholarship to
appreciate those works thoroughly, they
find it very convenient TO be professed
dlDllJtIH VI lIlt iJdli u avon, MS
gives them prestige with those Shakes.
peareans' who do not possess the ability
TO distinguish between a reality and a
mere pretense, assumption, or aiiecta
ton They are, therefore, supposed to
have good taste in the matter Of ltera.
ture. They are reputed to possess liter.
literary orthodoxy Their literary taste
il referred to as being sound They
echo the opinions l1J Of third class,
who, also have no opinions Of their own
AZ to the real rank Of Shakespeare. but
whose position fand sometimes, posi-
tons depend upon their literary ortho
doxy. Hence the apotheosizing Of the
eminent Bard Of Avon, whose works are
perennially in vogue among those Of
whom ninety percent are ignorant Of
the writings Of the greatest writer
known TO fame y
The aforesaid third class draw thei
opinions y az to the value Of the work.
in question from a fourth class wht
have opinions Of their own on the matte
here under discussion, and who eithe
truly appreciate the great merit of TIN
works in question or affect such ap