Montaigne and Shakspere

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

25535

Title

Montaigne and Shakspere

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

J. M. Robertson investigates the profound intellectual influence of Michel de Montaigne's essays on William Shakespeare, challenging the notion of Shakespeare as an isolated genius. This scholarly work traces specific textual parallels, arguing that Shakespeare's development was shaped by foreign intelligence and the practical realities of his life as an actor-manager.

Summary up to 500 words

In his critical study *Montaigne and Shakspere*, J. M. Robertson challenges the traditional, almost mythological view of William Shakespeare as a solitary genius operating in a vacuum. Instead, Robertson presents a naturalistic portrait of the Bard as a practical man driven by commercial necessity, shaped by his environment, and responsive to external intellectual stimuli. The author meticulously collates textual evidence to demonstrate a direct and significant influence of Michel de Montaigne's *Essays* on Shakespeare's thought, particularly in major works like *Hamlet* and *The Tempest*. Robertson counters the Baconian theory and the claims of critics like M. Stapfer, who had downplayed this connection, arguing that the influence was both wider and deeper than previously acknowledged. The book re-evaluates Shakespeare's early career, suggesting that his initial works were often collaborations or commercial ventures rather than the sole product of an innate, transcendent genius. Robertson posits that Shakespeare's mind functioned like a sensitive plate, capable of absorbing and vividly reproducing impressions from his surroundings. He highlights that Shakespeare possessed a plastic intelligence that, while not originally profound or deeply reflective, could broaden and deepen through vital experience and cultural contact. A crucial element of this development was the fertilizing contact with foreign intelligence, specifically through Florio's translation of Montaigne. Robertson argues that recognizing these influences does not diminish Shakespeare's greatness; rather, it makes his mental growth and cultural synthesis more intelligible and remarkable. By grounding the analysis in concrete facts about Shakespeare's life as an actor-manager and his commercial dealings, the work moves away from abstract aesthetics to a study of a wonderful mind evolving through the interplay of life conditions and intellectual stimulus. Ultimately, the study concludes that Shakespeare's greatness lies not in an unapproachable superiority, but in his ability to synthesize diverse cultural elements into a profound artistic expression.

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Categories

• Classics
• Philosophy
• Essays