Shakespeare, From an American Point of View (Classic Reprint)

Explore Shakespeare through an American lens and join a thoughtful critique of authorship and criticism.

The book presents a series of essays originally aimed at American readers, expanded with a London edition to satisfy British scholarly libraries. It surveys the Shakespeare controversy, tracing how debate over authorship has evolved from Fraser’s Magazine to the broader public conversation, and it situates these discussions within a wider study of Shakespeare’s works, life, and reception.

Structured as inquiries rather than dogmatic claims, the work invites readers to weigh evidence, compare sources, and consider how criticism shapes our understanding of a literary genius who remains central to the English-speaking imagination.

• Discussion of the Baconian theory and its reception among American and British readers.
• Analysis of historical and biographical contexts surrounding Shakespeare and his era.
• Engagement with critics, manuscripts, and peer opinions to illuminate how scholars argue about authorship.
• Appendices and notes that illustrate editorial choices and the evolution of the text across editions.

Ideal for readers of Shakespeare scholarship, literary history, and mid-19th‑century American literary criticism.