Author: David Womersley
In the 18th century, Samuel Johnson famously argued that Shakespeare is enduringly popular because he “is above all writers, at least above all modern writers, the poet of nature; the poet that holds up to his readers a faithful mirror of manners and of life.”
Johnson’s view largely prevailed until the late 20th century, when it was challenged by a growing scepticism about the existence of a general human nature.
In “Thinking Through Shakespeare,” eminent literary critic David Womersley pushes back against this change by exploring how Shakespeare’s plays think through—and invite us to think through—deep human questions of lasting importance.
“Thinking Through Shakespeare” explores four perennial human problems: personal identity.”
