Notes and Comments Upon Certain Plays and Actors of Shakespeare: With Criticisms and Correspondence

Notes And Comments Upon Certain Plays And Actors Of Shakespeare: With Criticisms And Correspondence by James Henry Hackett is a nineteenth-century miscellany of Shakespearean criticism, biographical reminiscences, and editorials on stage practice. The volume gathers Hackett’s essays on major plays such as Hamlet and King Lear, punctuated by extended analyses of particular soliloquies, metaphors, and staging choices, and interleaved with reflections on actors who have embodied Shakespeare’s heroes. It also includes Hackett’s journalistic notes and correspondence with notable figures of the era, including John Quincy Adams, Washington Irving, and Charles Murray, providing insight into both literary interpretation and the actor’s craft. Interwoven are autobiographical passages recounting Hackett’s own acting career in the United States, his England travels, and his views on theatrical representation. The work thus serves as a valuable primary source on 19th-century Shakespearean interpretation, performance aesthetics, and the social world of the theatre.