Characters of Shakespeare's Plays by William Hazlitt
page 41 of 332 (12%)
page 41 of 332 (12%)
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Shakespeare's morality is introduced in the same simple, unobtrusive manner. Imogen will not let her companions stay away from the chase to attend her when sick, and gives her reason for it: Stick to your journal course; THE BREACH OF CUSTOM IS BREACH OF ALL! When the Queen attempts to disguise her motives for procuring the poison from Cornelius, by saying she means to try its effects on 'creatures not worth the hanging', his answer conveys at once a tacit reproof of her hypocrisy, and a useful lesson of humanity: --Your Highness Shall from this practice but make hard your heart. MACBETH The poet's eye in a fine frenzy rolling Doth glance from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven; And as imagination bodies forth The forms of things unknown, the poet's pen Turns them to shape, and gives to airy nothing A local habitation and a name. |
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