Shakspeare and His Times

The collection begins with a biographical and critical essay that assesses Shakespeare's genius, contrasts his strengths and stylistic excesses, and examines the difficulty of rendering his language into French; it situates dramatic poetry within popular festivals and traces its social origins. Supplementary notices offer individual analyses of major tragedies, histories, and comedies, and an extended discussion considers Othello alongside French dramatic practice. The author compares English and French dramatic traditions, debates translation strategies, and reflects on the public and moral functions of theatre, combining textual commentary with broader reflections on dramatic art and national literary character.