Shakespeare and the Romantic Poets

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the way in which Shakespeare was viewed by the poetic exponents of Romanticism, and how some of the characters of Shakespeare's plays may exemplify the Romantic ideal. This author explains that two hundred years separates the time of William Shakespeare in the Elizabethan era and the Romantic poets and their vision of a society, which put the concerns of the individual to the forefront of political issues. The paper points out that, while direct reference to Shakespeare's works by the romantic poets is less than abundant, John Keats, Samuel Taylor and Percy Bysse Shelley suggest a clear aesthetic link between Romanticism and Shakespeare's texts. The paper examines characters of Shakespeare's plays and how they exemplify the Romantic vision of individual liberty, the freedom of expression and mans' relationship with nature, which feature prominently in "King Lear", "Hamlet", "Romeo and Juliet"."

From the Paper:

"If then, life is to be lived according to one's ideals, as opposed to the rules of society, then the examination of cerebral conflict is a relevant concern. It would be a simple matter to make one's point by filling an essay such as this with quotations from "Hamlet", whose central character, it appears, is in a state of permanent confusion, or from Corialanus, who, it could be argued is the most egocentric character ever created by Shakespeare, and whose vanity, ultimately, proves to be his undoing. The Romantic hero referred to in my question however, is, for this critic, personified in the character of the eponymous protagonist of "Romeo and Juliet"."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bate, W. Jackson. 1999. John Keats. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press
• Beer, John (Ed.) 2003. Samuel Coleridge. London: J.M. Dent
• Burrow, Charles Kennett (Ed.) 1914. Complete Works of William Wordsworth. London: Collins Clear Type
• Coleridge Samuel. 1811. Lectures and Notes on Shakespeare: URL:http://http://shakespearean.org.uk/ham1-col.htm Accessed 02.06.2006
• Craig, W.J. (Ed.) 1993. The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare. London: Magpie

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