...critics, who form their judgments upon narrower principles. Dennis and Rhymer <1:Rm/291> think his Romans not sufficiently Roman; and Voltaire censures his kings as not completely royal.22 Dennis is offended, that Menenius, a senator of Rome, should play the buffoon; and Voltaire...

...censure of criticks, who form their judgments upon narrower principles. Dennis* and Rymer4 think his Romans not sufficiently Roman; and Voltaire censures...violated when the Danish usurper is represented as a drunkard.5 But Shakespeare always makes nature predominate over accident; and if he preserves the essential...

...his assigned place. in short. in the plot. Thus Shakespeare willingly flouts the Aristotelian muthas: 'His story requires Romans or kings. but he thinks only on men'" (27). Historically. challenges to the Aristotelian subordination of character to plot tended to be...

...professional criticism, would have made the plays better than they are: "Shakespeare has no heroes His story requires Romans or kings, but he thinks only on men" (pp. 64-65). Johnson is here renouncing a standard neo-classical formula for the creation of character....

...them. "Dennis and Rymer think his Romans not sufficiently Roman," he remarks in a much quoted passage: Dennis is offended that Menenius, a senator of Rome, should play the buffoon. . . . But Shakespeare always makes nature predominate over accident; and, if he preserves the essential...

...preserves the essential character, is not very careful of distinctions superinduced and adventitious. His story requires Romans or kings, but he thinks only on men ... A poet overlooks the casual distinctions of country and condition, as a painter, satisfied with...