Notes on Shakespeare - Lectures by Coleridge

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

• Publisher: Read & Co. Great Essays
• Year: 2021
• Print ISBN: 9781528719704
• eBook ISBN: 9781528792721
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Literary Essays
• Index: Literature

Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772–1834) was an English poet, theologian, literary critic, philosopher, and co-founder of the English Romantic Movement. He was also a member of the famous Lake Poets, together with William Wordsworth and Robert Southey. Coleridge had a significant influence on the the work of Ralph Waldo Emerson and American Transcendentalism in general, and played an important role in bringing German idealist philosophy to the English-speaking world. He was also an influential critic, garnering particular esteem for his critical work regarding William Shakespeare, which helped usher in a revival of interest in Shakespeare's plays and poetry. This volume contains a collection of Coleridge's lectures on Shakespeare, which he delivered up and down the country. Highly recommended for students and others with an interest in Shakespeare or Coleridge's work. Contents include: "Greek Drama", "Progress of the Drama", "The Drama Generally, and Public Taste", "Shakespeare, a Poet Generally", "Shakespeare's Judgment Equal to his Genius", "Recapitulation, and Summary of the Characteristics of Shakespeare's Dramas", "Outline of an Introductory Lecture upon Shakespeare", "Order of Shakespeare's Plays", "Notes on the 'Tempest'", "'Love's Labour's Lost'", "'Midsummer Night's Dream'", "'Comedy of Errors'", "'As You Like It'", "'Twelfth Night'", "'All's Well that Ends Well'", etc.

“HENRY IV—PART I”

Act i. sc. 1. King Henry's speech:—

 

“No more the thirsty entrance of this soil

Shall daub her lips with her own children's blood.”

 

A most obscure passage: but I think Theobald's interpretation right, namely, that “thirsty entrance” means the dry penetrability, or bibulous drought, of the soil. The obscurity of this passage is of the Shakespearian sort.

Ib. sc. 2. In this, the first introduction of Falstaff, observe the consciousness and the intentionality of his wit, so that when it does not flow of its own accord, its absence is felt, and an effort visibly made to recall it. Note also throughout how Falstaff's pride is gratified in the power of influencing a prince of the blood, the heir apparent, by means of it. Hence his dislike to Prince John of Lancaster, and his mortification when he finds his wit fail on him:—

“P. John. Fare you well, Falstaff: I, in my condition,
Shall better speak of you than you deserve.

Fal. I would you had but the wit; 'twere better than your dukedom.—Good faith, this same young sober-blooded boy doth not love me;—nor a man cannot make him laugh.”

Act ii. sc. 1. Second Carrier's speech:—

. . . “breeds fleas like a loach.”

Perhaps it is a misprint, or a provincial pronunciation, for “leach,” that is, blood-suckers. Had it been gnats, instead of fleas, there might have been some sense, though small probability, in Warburton's suggestion of the Scottish “loch.” Possibly “loach,” or “lutch,” may be some lost word for dovecote, or poultry-lodge, notorious for breeding fleas. In Stevens's or my reading, it should properly be “loaches,” or “leeches,” in the plural; except that I think I have heard anglers speak of trouts like a salmon.

Act iii. sc. 1.—

“Glend. Nay, if you melt, then will she run mad.”

This “nay” so to be dwelt on in speaking, as to be equivalent to a dissyllable - u, is characteristic of the solemn Glendower; but the imperfect line

 

“She bids you

Upon the wanton rushes lay you down,” &c.,

 

is one of those fine hair-strokes of exquisite judgment peculiar to Shakespeare;—thus detaching the Lady's speech, and giving it the individuality and entireness of a little poem, while he draws attention to it.

“HENRY IV—PART II”

Act ii. sc. 2—

“P. Hen. Sup any women with him?

Page. None, my lord, but old mistress Quickly, and mistress Doll Tear-sheet.

P. Hen. This Doll Tear-sheet should be some road.”

I am sometimes disposed to think that this respectable young lady's name is a very old corruption for Tear-street—street-walker, terere stratam (viam). Does not the Prince's question rather show this?—

“This Doll Tear-street should be some road?”

Act iii. sc. 1. King Henry's speech:—

. . . “Then, happy low, lie down;

Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.”

I know no argument by which to persuade any one to be of my opinion, or rather of my feeling; but yet I cannot help feeling that “Happy low-lie-down!” is either a proverbial expression, or the burthen of some old song, and means, “Happy the man, who lays himself down on his straw bed or chaff pallet on the ground or floor!”

Ib. sc. 2. Sh...

Table of contents

• SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE
• DEFINITION OF POETRY
• GREEK DRAMA
• PROGRESS OF THE DRAMA
• THE DRAMA GENERALLY, AND PUBLIC TASTE
• SHAKESPEARE, A POET GENERALLY
• SHAKESPEARE'S JUDGMENT EQUAL TO HIS GENIUS
• RECAPITULATION, AND SUMMARY OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF SHAKESPEARE'S DRAMAS
• OUTLINE OF AN INTRODUCTORY LECTURE UPON SHAKESPEARE
• ORDER OF SHAKESPEARE'S PLAYS
• NOTES ON THE “TEMPEST”
• “LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST”
• “MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM”
• “COMEDY OF ERRORS”
• “AS YOU LIKE IT”
• “TWELFTH NIGHT”
• “ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL”
• “MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR”
• “MEASURE FOR MEASURE”
• “CYMBELINE”
• “TITUS ANDRONICUS”
• “TROILUS AND CRESSIDA”
• “CORIOLANUS”
• “JULIUS CÆSAR”
• “ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA”
• “TIMON OF ATHENS”
• “ROMEO AND JULIET”
• SHAKESPEARE'S ENGLISH HISTORICAL PLAYS
• “KING JOHN”
• “RICHARD II”
• “HENRY IV—PART I”
• “HENRY IV—PART II”
• “HENRY V”
• “HENRY VI—PART I”
• “RICHARD III”
• “LEAR”
• “HAMLET”
• “MACBETH”
• “WINTER'S TALE”
• “OTHELLO”