Anecdotes of Polite Literature ...G. Burnet, 1764 |
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Page 1
ANECDOTES OF POLITE LITERATURE . T SECT . I. Of TRAGEDY . HERE is no fpecies of poetry that has occafioned fo many cri- ticifms , and given rife to fuch a mul- titude of rules , as tragedy ; nor any point in literature about which ...
ANECDOTES OF POLITE LITERATURE . T SECT . I. Of TRAGEDY . HERE is no fpecies of poetry that has occafioned fo many cri- ticifms , and given rife to fuch a mul- titude of rules , as tragedy ; nor any point in literature about which ...
Page 2
... tragedy to be an imitation of an action that is grave , entire , and hath a just length ; the ftile of which is agreeable and diversified , and which , without the assist- ance of narration , by means of compaf- fion and terror ...
... tragedy to be an imitation of an action that is grave , entire , and hath a just length ; the ftile of which is agreeable and diversified , and which , without the assist- ance of narration , by means of compaf- fion and terror ...
Page 3
... Tragedy then does not endeavour to imitate manners , but adds them by reafon of the actions ; fo that actions and fable are the end of tragedy * . An action is entire which hath a be- ginning , a middle , and an end . The be- ginning is ...
... Tragedy then does not endeavour to imitate manners , but adds them by reafon of the actions ; fo that actions and fable are the end of tragedy * . An action is entire which hath a be- ginning , a middle , and an end . The be- ginning is ...
Page 4
... tragedy the wit of man ever thought of . Let us take a view of the fable . The scene opens with a sacrifice which a great number of Thebans are making in the court of Oedipus's palace . That prince enters , and to comfort the people ...
... tragedy the wit of man ever thought of . Let us take a view of the fable . The scene opens with a sacrifice which a great number of Thebans are making in the court of Oedipus's palace . That prince enters , and to comfort the people ...
Page 6
... tragedy , if fuch a one could be invented , would be where a man of integrity falls into a great misfortune by doing an innocent action , but which by fome fin gular means he conceives to be criminal . His re- morfe aggravates his ...
... tragedy , if fuch a one could be invented , would be where a man of integrity falls into a great misfortune by doing an innocent action , but which by fome fin gular means he conceives to be criminal . His re- morfe aggravates his ...
Common terms and phrases
abfurd action affecting againſt alfo almoft Alonzo alſo anfwer Arzaces audience Barbaroffa becauſe Carlos cataſtrophe Cato character compaffion compofed compofition Corneille Creon Criticifm death diſcover epifodes expreffed fable faid falfe fame fatire fays fcene fenti fentiments fhall fhews fhort fhould firſt fituation fome fometimes foul fpeaking fpectator fpeech French ftage ftrokes fubject fuch fuppofe furprize gedy genius greateſt Hamlet Henriade hiftory himſelf intereft juft Juliet king la Henriade laft language laſt lefs Leonora Macbeth manner ment moft Monf moſt muft murder muſt n'eft nature neceffary noble obferved occafion Othello paffages paffion pathetic perfon perfonages piece pity play pleaſure poet prefent Preferved prince of Condé profe Racine racter raiſed reafon refemblance refpect reprefentation reprefented Revenge rife Romeo Romeo and Juliet ſcene Semiramis Shakeſpear Sophocles ſpeak terror theatre thee thefe theſe thofe thoſe tion tragedy tranflation unities Voltaire whofe wrote Zanga Zara
Popular passages
Page 134 - That he might not beteem the winds of heaven Visit her face too roughly. Heaven and earth! Must I remember? why, she would hang on him, As if increase of appetite had grown By what it fed on; and yet, within a month, Let me not think on't: Frailty, thy name is woman!
Page 185 - Good heav'ns, is this, — is this the man who braves me? Who bids my age make way, drives me before him, To the world's ridge, and sweeps me off like rubbish?
Page 135 - Let me not think on't; frailty, thy name is woman A little month, or ere those shoes were old With which she...
Page 42 - James, in which this tragedy was written, many circumstances concurred to propagate and confirm this opinion. The king, who was much celebrated for his knowledge, had, before his arrival in England, not only examined in person a woman accused of witchcraft but had given a very formal account of the practices and...
Page 135 - ... uncle, My father's brother, but no more like my father Than I to Hercules: within a month, Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears Had left the flushing in her galled eyes, She married.
Page 40 - IN order to make a true estimate of the abilities and merit of a writer, it is always necessary to examine the genius of his age, and the opinions of his contemporaries.
Page 43 - Shakespeare might be easily allowed to found a play, especially since he has followed with great exactness such histories as were then thought true ; nor can it be doubted that the scenes of enchantment, however they may now be ridiculed, were both by himself and his audience thought awful and affecting.
Page 135 - But two months dead: nay, not so much, not two: So excellent a king; that was, to this, Hyperion to a...
Page 85 - I arrest you in the name of mercy, And dare compel your stay: Is then one look, One word, one moment, a last moment too, When I stand tottering on the brink of death, A cruel ignominious death, too much For one that loves like me ? A length of years You may devote to my blest rival's arms, I ask but one short moment.
Page 96 - Christian, thou mistak'st my character. Look on me. Who am I ? I know, thou say'st The Moor, a slave, an abject, beaten slave (Eternal woes to him that made me so!): But look again. Has six years cruel bondage...