Illustrations of Shakspeare, and of Ancient Manners : with Dissertations on the Clowns and Fools of Shakspeare; on a Collection of Popular Tales Entitled Gesta Romanorum; and on the English Morris dance.
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Release date is 2015-10-16
Produced by Richard Tonsing, Chris Curnow and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) Produced by Richard Tonsing, Chris Curnow and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
"Illustrations of Shakspeare, and of Ancient Manners" by Francis Douce is a collection of literary commentary and historical analysis written in the early 19th century. This work serves as an exploration of Shakspeare's texts, particularly focusing on elucidating clowns and fools within his plays, the influences of popular tales like the "Gesta Romanorum," and the cultural significance of the English morris dance. At the start of the text, Douce presents a preface that underlines the necessity of commentary on Shakespeare's complex writings. He outlines his approach, indicating a division of readers based on how they engage with Shakespeare's plays, and reflects on previous scholars' contributions to the field. Douce's introduction suggests that his work will build upon these foundations, aiming to shed light on obscure customs, clarify difficult passages, and provide a deeper understanding of the characters and themes that populate Shakespeare’s works. Overall, the opening sections set the stage for an in-depth look at the rich interplay between Shakespeare's literature and the social customs of his time. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- Criticism and interpretation Morris dance Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- Knowledge -- Manners and customs Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- Characters -- Clowns Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- Characters -- Fools Manners and customs in literature Fools and jesters in literature Exempla in literature Clowns in literature Gesta Romanorum Fools and jesters -- England -- History -- 16th century Clowns -- England -- History -- 16th century