SHAKESPEARE
HAZLITT was a popular modern English author，chiefly known as a reviewer，awriter of occasional pieces，and the author of Table Talk.
1.It has been said，by some critic，that Shakespeare was distinguished from the other dramatic writers of his day，only by his wit；that they had all his other qualities but that；that one writer had as much sense；another，as much fancy；another，as much knowledge of character；another，the same depth of passion；and another，as great power of language.This statement is not true；nor is the inference from it well founded，even if it were.This person does not seem to be aware，that，uponWilliam Hazlitt（1778-1830）his own showing，the great distinction of Shakespeare’s genius was its virtually including the genius of all the great men of his age，and not its differing from them in one accidental particular.
2.The striking peculiarity of Shakespeare‘s mind was its generic quality；its power of communication with all other minds；so that it contained a universe of thought and feeling within itself，and no one peculiar bias or exclusive excellence，more than another.He was just like any other man，but that he was like all other men.He wasthe least of an egotist that it was possible to be.He was nothing in himself，but he was all that others were，or that they could become.He not only had in himself the germs of every faculty and feeling，but he could follow them，by anticipation，intuitively，into all their conceivable ramifications，through every change of fortune，or conflict of passion，or turnShakespeareof thought.He had “a mind，reflecting ages past，”and present；all the people that ever lived are there There was no respect of persons with him.His genius shone equally on the evil and on the good，on the wise and the foolish，the monarch and the beggar.“All corners of the earth，kings，queens，and states；maids，matrons，nay，the secrets of the grave，”are hardly hid from his searching glance.He was like the genius of humanity，changing places with all of us at pleasure，and playing with our purposes as with his own.
3.He turned the globe round for his amusement，and surveyed the generations of men and the individuals as they passed，with their different concerns，passions，follies，vices，virtues，actions，and motives；as well those they knew，as those they did not know or acknowledge to themselves.The dreams of childhood，the ravings of despair，were the toys of his fancy.Airy beings waited at his call and came at his bidding.Harmless fairies “nodded to him and did him their courtesies；”and the night-hag bestrode the blast at the command of “his so potent art.”
4.He had only to speak of any thing，in order to become that thing，with all the circumstances belonging to it.When he conceived of a character，whether real or imaginary，he not only entered into all itsthoughts and feelings，but seemed instantly，and as if by touching a secret spring，to be surrounded with all the same objects，“subject to the same skyey influences，”the same local，outward，and unforeseen accidents which would occur in reality.Thus，the character of Caliban not only stands before us with a language and manners of his own，but the scenery and situation of the enchanted island he in habits，the traditions of the place，its strange noises，its hidden recesses，“his frequent haunts，and ancient neighborhood，”are given with a miraculous truth of nature，and with all the familiarity of an old recollection.“The whole coheres semblably together，in time，”place，and circumstance.