In his Preface to Shakespeare, Samuel Johnson extols Shakespeare's characterisation skills. Shakespeare "approaches the distant and familiarity with the fantastic." He depicts human nature not just as it reacts to everyday events, but also how it may act in extreme circumstances. This gives us a complete picture of humanity. Shakespeare's genius lies in his ability to present characters that we can imagine living next door to us, or even under the same roof. We feel an immediate connection with them; their thoughts and feelings appear completely real. This is why he is considered one of the greatest dramatists of all time. Johnson also praises Shakespeare's knowledge of life: "He displays the manners of gentlemen and soldiers; the vices and virtues of men in all conditions of life; and though most of his characters are drawn from reality, they are never drawn according to the ordinary rules of morality or nature." Finally, Johnson says that although Shakespeare did not aspire to invent new words, he used them so imaginatively that they have been retained in language today.