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The Meaning of Shakespeare, Volume 1
In two magnificent and authoritative volumes, Harold C. Goddard takes readers on a tour through the works of William Shakespeare, celebrating his incomparable plays and unsurpassed literary genius.
410 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 24, 1951
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
December 15, 2022
THE MEANING OF SHAKESPEARE (1951) is a superb book on Shakespeare. Harold Bloom, who was a very astute and erudite reader of Shakespeare, said that this book "has been an inspiration to me for half a century, and I never tire of recommending it passionately to my own students." This is such a huge endorsement! However, I found Goddard's literary criticism far superior to Harold Bloom's.
Bloom can be pompous, tiresome and repetitive (his love for Hamlet and Falstaff is exhausting) but you will never tire of Goddard. Goddard suggests that Shakespeare's oeuvre should be considered as a whole. His poems and plays "deserve to be considered integrally", as chapters of a single work. He believes Shakespeare was primarily a poet, not a playwright, so his analysis focuses on the language and the way the poet can conceal (or reveal) himself through it.
Goddard analyzes each and every play. All his essays are a joy to read, but the two introductory essays are truly outstanding. I've read and watched all the plays analyzed in this volume and I am so grateful for Bloom's endorsement.
Bloom can be pompous, tiresome and repetitive (his love for Hamlet and Falstaff is exhausting) but you will never tire of Goddard. Goddard suggests that Shakespeare's oeuvre should be considered as a whole. His poems and plays "deserve to be considered integrally", as chapters of a single work. He believes Shakespeare was primarily a poet, not a playwright, so his analysis focuses on the language and the way the poet can conceal (or reveal) himself through it.
Goddard analyzes each and every play. All his essays are a joy to read, but the two introductory essays are truly outstanding. I've read and watched all the plays analyzed in this volume and I am so grateful for Bloom's endorsement.
March 22, 2008
This is one of the best books to read while going through Bard's plays. There other classics such as Hazlitt's on Shakespeare's characters, Bradley's on the great Shakespearean tragedies. And then there is always of course the good doctor (Dr. Johnson) and H. Bloom (Shakespeare: Invention of the Human).
The first two are not as comprehensive as this book; while it is impossible to really criticize Johnson I can say that it is too much of an effort to find his criticisms in different sources (I simply could not find a one volme compilation); finally for Bloom even though I like it a lot I find it too derivative and his comments sometimes too tangential to the topic (he talks on and on about what he calls the "Schools of resentment" (which is a term I loved by the way), New Historicists etc. ) and sometimes repetitive (about the Falstaff, Hamlet).
Goddard's book is invredibly useful. He gives one the imression that he really could get under the skin of Shakespeare. Not only his great comments about the plays but his ideas on democracy (when he is talking about Bottom in A midsummer night's dream), or plays (Hamlet, Henry the Fourth (wonderful comment about peace/war/play) )
, or individual vs. the crowd (Coriolanus) are unforgettable. He gives me the impression of a good old teacher (who is not a moralist) that you can talk about anything under the sun and you would not be able to surprise whatever you say since he knows human nature so. Such a refreshing persn such a refreshing book.
There are a few points that I do not agree with Goddard. Especially on his dislike of Mercutio and his sympathy towards Romeo; his comments about the end of King Lear that Cordelia actually lives (what do you actually mean Harold??? this does not make sense) .
Again if you are going to console yourself with Shakespeare at some point in your life keep this book handy. This could be one of the books that can change the way you look at life.
The first two are not as comprehensive as this book; while it is impossible to really criticize Johnson I can say that it is too much of an effort to find his criticisms in different sources (I simply could not find a one volme compilation); finally for Bloom even though I like it a lot I find it too derivative and his comments sometimes too tangential to the topic (he talks on and on about what he calls the "Schools of resentment" (which is a term I loved by the way), New Historicists etc. ) and sometimes repetitive (about the Falstaff, Hamlet).
Goddard's book is invredibly useful. He gives one the imression that he really could get under the skin of Shakespeare. Not only his great comments about the plays but his ideas on democracy (when he is talking about Bottom in A midsummer night's dream), or plays (Hamlet, Henry the Fourth (wonderful comment about peace/war/play) )
, or individual vs. the crowd (Coriolanus) are unforgettable. He gives me the impression of a good old teacher (who is not a moralist) that you can talk about anything under the sun and you would not be able to surprise whatever you say since he knows human nature so. Such a refreshing persn such a refreshing book.
There are a few points that I do not agree with Goddard. Especially on his dislike of Mercutio and his sympathy towards Romeo; his comments about the end of King Lear that Cordelia actually lives (what do you actually mean Harold??? this does not make sense) .
Again if you are going to console yourself with Shakespeare at some point in your life keep this book handy. This could be one of the books that can change the way you look at life.
December 5, 2014
Hmmm. An odd one, this. Goddard's critical style is now supremely outdated (A.D. Nuttall makes but one, dismissive reference to him in his recent "Shakespeare the Thinker"). What's more, with Goddard dying before the text was published, some of this reads as if it is still in draft format. Ideas go on for pages, astoundingly poetic, but often amounting to very little. No doubt Goddard was a sublime intelligence, and his words are beautiful. His insight into the characters is fascinating, even if I find much of it dubious. (Any critic can - and should - defend Shylock OR Katherina OR Joan of Arc, but all three? Methinks the critic doth protest too much.)
Goddard is outright bonkers, which leads to wild variations in quality. Some of his opinions come off as psychadelic counter-culture ramblings; others tap into a vein of brilliance that is well-worth exploring. But it's fairly uneven. Oddly, for a posthumously published work, Goddard's work resounds more in the second volume, where he tackles the mature plays with deftness and accuracy. He is at his weakest in the early chapters here, betraying that attitude of his generation (carried over somewhat from the 19th century Romantics) that Shakespeare knew he was "too good" for something as plebeian as the theatre. Indeed, the most dispiriting moments of the book are when Goddard falls into that old academic trap of writing off sections of the plays with the note "well, the groundlings must have their comedy". Any fellow traveler on our Bardolatrous Way is a worthy reading companion, but there are times when the Lost Generation's psychologically telling desire to separate Shakespeare the poet from Shakespeare the man is nauseating.
In Goddard's defense, perhaps I am simply of too distant a generation to truly appreciate him. Often, he will quote one or two lines from a character as definitive proof of what the character or Shakespeare himself was thinking. Yet, even though I consider myself a part-time Shakespeare academic myself, I can barely even grasp how he has reached that point. Not always - there is undoubtedly much true brilliance in these books - and anyone with this much reverence for William Shakespeare deserves to be read for many years to come but, with the passing of the years, and a revised view of Shakespearean (not to mention literary) criticism, the bloom is often, in this case, off the rose.
Goddard is outright bonkers, which leads to wild variations in quality. Some of his opinions come off as psychadelic counter-culture ramblings; others tap into a vein of brilliance that is well-worth exploring. But it's fairly uneven. Oddly, for a posthumously published work, Goddard's work resounds more in the second volume, where he tackles the mature plays with deftness and accuracy. He is at his weakest in the early chapters here, betraying that attitude of his generation (carried over somewhat from the 19th century Romantics) that Shakespeare knew he was "too good" for something as plebeian as the theatre. Indeed, the most dispiriting moments of the book are when Goddard falls into that old academic trap of writing off sections of the plays with the note "well, the groundlings must have their comedy". Any fellow traveler on our Bardolatrous Way is a worthy reading companion, but there are times when the Lost Generation's psychologically telling desire to separate Shakespeare the poet from Shakespeare the man is nauseating.
In Goddard's defense, perhaps I am simply of too distant a generation to truly appreciate him. Often, he will quote one or two lines from a character as definitive proof of what the character or Shakespeare himself was thinking. Yet, even though I consider myself a part-time Shakespeare academic myself, I can barely even grasp how he has reached that point. Not always - there is undoubtedly much true brilliance in these books - and anyone with this much reverence for William Shakespeare deserves to be read for many years to come but, with the passing of the years, and a revised view of Shakespearean (not to mention literary) criticism, the bloom is often, in this case, off the rose.
December 27, 2007
"Ours is a time," says Harold Goddard, author of The Meaning of Shakespeare, "that would have sent the Greeks to their oracles. We fail at our peril to consult our own." One of my favorite pastimes is reading Shakespeare--and reading good commentaries on Shakespeare. Harold Bloom, who can be maddeningly inept when it comes to commenting on Scripture, has much worth saying about Shakespeare, and he says it well. His Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human is a brilliant treatment of the Bard. His Western Canon also has extended treatments of Shakespeare which are eloquent and compelling. There is a long genealogy of Shakespeare criticism, from Samuel Johnson's "Preface to Shakespeare" to Mark Van Doren's Shakespeare. There is something about the Elizabethan playwright that not only awes and dazzles us, but which elicits the awesome and the dazzling in those who write about his work. Goddard's The Meaning of Shakespeare, however, stands head and shoulders above other commentaries. Part of this comes from the fact that he does not just offer a series of commentaries on individual plays, but rather he seeks to see the plays integrally, as "chapters of a single work." When he comments on a play, he takes all the other plays into account. Goddard's book is not just a commentary on a series of masterpieces, it is a masterpiece in and of itself. There are passages in this book which rival any other piece of great literature. It is not just a book about great books; it is a great book in its own right.
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January 12, 2016Easily the best book on Shakespeare around. Sure, Shakespeare's life is interesting and Bloom's Shakespeare provides good information about deeper meaning in Shakespeare. This book blows them all away.
It doesn't dive into too much history, but gives enough to provide context and insights into the mindset of Elizabethan era people. It gives insights into the meaning of Shakespeare providing a solid foundation for the conclusions that Goddard reaches (such as the whole of Shakespeare's works being one long moral/biographical discussion).
Goddard wrote this book after being a university professor and surviving world war I and II. He provides his own social commentary on the times and the timelessness of Shakespeare's insights into humanity. Even if you don't love Shakespeare, you'll gain a lot by reading this frank, illuminating book.
It doesn't dive into too much history, but gives enough to provide context and insights into the mindset of Elizabethan era people. It gives insights into the meaning of Shakespeare providing a solid foundation for the conclusions that Goddard reaches (such as the whole of Shakespeare's works being one long moral/biographical discussion).
Goddard wrote this book after being a university professor and surviving world war I and II. He provides his own social commentary on the times and the timelessness of Shakespeare's insights into humanity. Even if you don't love Shakespeare, you'll gain a lot by reading this frank, illuminating book.
December 17, 2016
This is one of the best books to address the meaning of Shakespeare's individual plays. Most commentaries spend time on the source material or staging but do not address Shakespeare's insight into our human nature which is the only reason I read Shakespeare. Harold Goddard takes each play and analyses it from this viewpoint, citing passages to make his point. It is the best way to get oriented before reading a Shakespearean play.
April 11, 2016
An extraordinary classic that took me back to the plays. No isms in the analysis, just focus, focus on the text as poetry and threw new light on almost all his plays. Wonderful mind fodder that made me read his second volume as well. Highly recommend if you have any interest in the plays and want the play to be the thing.
March 10, 2017
In both volumes of his study of Shakespeare's plays, Goddard usefully calls attention to parallels among characters from the different plays--e.g., Prince Hal could be thought of as a later version of Romeo, and Hamlet as a later version of Prince Hal. In this way, it is possible to trace the development of Shakespeare's expressive powers and psychological insight.
September 17, 2013
This isn't the sort of book that I'm going to sit down and read cover to cover. However, it IS a perfect resource for anyone dipping into Shakespeare's plays. Harold Goddard's essays cover a depth and breadth that reflect his many years spent teaching. We're very lucky that these were written before his death. I've seen much praise of these two volumes and it is well deserved.
January 3, 2015
For anyone who studies Shakespeare, for school or just for pleasure, this is a great resource. His analysis really bring the plays to life and show the superhuman value of Shakespeare as a poet, thinker and philosopher. I am already enjoying Volume 2. It's a great companion piece to any or all of your favorite plays.
July 29, 2015
This volume gives commentary on all of Shakespeare's plays up to Hamlet. Plays written after Hamlet are covered in volume 2. Since this was written in 1951, the criticism presented here is a bit out of style, but since I'm not a literature major that doesn't matter to me much. Goddard provides a lot of insight into Shakespeare's plays and his ideas made be think about the plays in new ways.
June 3, 2024
A must read educational nonfiction work for all Shakespeare lovers and teachers. Goddard analyzes the plays chronologically and Vol I ends with Hamlet. Goddard's discussion of the plays is a must read for all teachers and lovers of The Bard, you will see the plays differently and will think about them differently as well.
September 12, 2012
Studied and insightful, and a useful aid for Bard analysis.
August 23, 2014
An interesting Critical interpretation of Shakespeare's plays.
August 16, 2014
Quite simply one of the best books I have ever read. The essay on the Henry IV plays is worth its weight in gold. Goddard was a master and by far my favorite writer on Shakespeare.
August 12, 2018
Covers earliest plays up to Hamlet, and takes them as a development from juvenile artist to master artist. He leans on psychological stuff a bit much (more William James than Freud) and sometimes falls into the much-complained 'bardolatry' (especially with his 30 page proclamation of Falstaff's divinity) but most of the time he has interesting takes and does what I hope for in a Shakespeare commentary: stick to the text, but evaluate it in new and inventive ways.
June 29, 2024
This is an excellent resource for understanding different ones of Shakespeare's plays. This is volume 1, so half the plays are in here. Goddard's comments are very helpful to go along with each play. Worth reading. I would rate it a 5 out of 5, as a resource, but a 3 out of 5, for my overall just reading pleasure, because it is more of a resource book.
November 11, 2025
An incredible and helpful commentary on Shakespeare. His chapter on The Merchant of Venice is one of my favorite pieces of literary criticism and interpretation that I’ve ever read.
January 1, 2025
A creative series oracular assertions. The chapter on Hamlet was the most interesting I've read.
March 20, 2016
My new favorite book about Shakespeare.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews