Notes to Shakespeare — Volume 01: Comedies

Name: Notes to Shakespeare — Volume 01: Comedies
Author: Samuel Johnson

By Samuel Johnson

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About This Book

A scholarly volume collects Samuel Johnson's preface and comprehensive annotations on the comedies of Shakespeare, reproducing his definitions, paraphrases, textual emendations, and interpretive observations. It outlines Johnson's editorial process, his revisions across editions, and his collaboration with other editors, while organizing commentary thematically and by play. Readers encounter lexical explanations drawn from his dictionary, critical judgments on language and meaning, and notes that range from line-level glosses to broader readings of genre. The edition presents the commentary alone, with auxiliary introductions and editorial notes providing historical and textual context.

About the Author

Samuel Johnson

Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) was an influential English writer and lexicographer, best known for his comprehensive dictionary, "A Dictionary of the English Language," which laid the groundwork for modern lexicography. His literary contributions span various genres, including poetry, essays, and biography. Johnson's works often reflect his keen insight into human nature and society, as seen in his notable titles such as "A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland" and "Lives of the English Poets." He was a prominent figure in the literary circles of his time, engaging with contemporaries like James Boswell, whose biography of Johnson remains a classic. His legacy endures in the realms of literature and language.