Literature of the world : an introductory study . ter. Whatever may have been his shortcomings, he remains the mas-ter spirit of English literature. It was no exaggeration for hisfriend Ben Jonson to say of him, He was not of an age but forall time. It is above all else this universality of Shakespearesgenius—its familiarity with the whole expanse of human nature,with all types in all situations—that constitutes the source of hisgreatness. What a piece of work is man! we hear him saythrough the mouth of Hamlet, who may perhaps be regarded ason the whole, among all of Shakespeares characters, m
Literature of the world : an introductory study . ter. Whatever may have been his shortcomings, he remains the mas-ter spirit of English literature. It was no exaggeration for hisfriend Ben Jonson to say of him, He was not of an age but forall time. It is above all else this universality of Shakespearesgenius—its familiarity with the whole expanse of human nature,with all types in all situations—that constitutes the source of hisgreatness. What a piece of work is man! we hear him saythrough the mouth of Hamlet, who may perhaps be regarded ason the whole, among all of Shakespeares characters, most fullyrepresentative of the poet himself. And it is to man that Shake-speare comes with the illuminating vision of one who sees clearlyhis heights and depths, his glory and his shame. The purpose ofplaying, says Hamlet again, is to hold, as twere, the mirror up to THE Tragical I Hiftorie of HAMLET, Trince of Denmark^, By William Shakefpeare. Newly imprinted and enlarged to almofl: as muchagaineasitwas,accordingto thetme and AT LONDON. Printed by I. R. for N. L. and arc to te ibid at his {hoppe vndcrSainiDunftons Church inricetHreei. 1604. TITLE-PAGE, SECOND QUARTO 378 LITERATURE OF THE WORLD nature; to show virtue her own feature, scorn her own image, andthe very age and body of the time his form and pressure. Andwe may well believe this to have been in Shakespeares mind thepurpose of the playwright also. For we shall have far to seek forany such consistent and adequate and fundamental grasp of therealities of our common human experience as we find in Shake-speares pages. And together with his insight goes his unparalleledpower of execution—of putting into the form of speech and actionand dramatic expression the truths of human life which his eyebeheld. In his mature work this ability to give outward form toan inner idea is exercised with a sureness and appropriateness andeconomy of effect that is little short of miraculous. Dogberry,Shallow, sweet Ann
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