Preface to Shakespeare

Name: Preface to Shakespeare
Author: Samuel Johnson

by Samuel Johnson

Johnson's critical introduction to Shakespeare's works, defending the playwright against neoclassical attacks

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About the author

Samuel Johnson

The dominant figure in 18th-century English letters, Johnson wrote the first comprehensive Dictionary of the English Language, produced major literary criticism in Lives of the Poets, and wrote the moral periodicals The Rambler and The Idler. His conversation, recorded by Boswell, is a monument of English wit.

More by Samuel Johnson

A Dictionary of the English LanguageLandmark dictionary of English language, defining over 42,000 words with quotations and etymologies
Lives of the PoetsCritical essays on English poets from Milton to contemporary writers, tracing literary traditions
The RamblerCollection of Johnson's moral and philosophical essays published in his periodical, addressing human nature
RasselasPhilosophical tale about a prince seeking happiness, exploring human desire and contentment through travel
A Journey to the Western Islands of ScotlandJohnson's travel account of the Scottish Highlands, describing landscape, people, and cultural observations