Tolstoy on Shakespeare; a Critical Essay on Shakespeare

The author reflects on his profound disillusionment with Shakespeare's works, initially expecting aesthetic pleasure but instead experiencing repulsion and tedium. As he revisits the plays at seventy-five, his conviction deepens that the veneration surrounding Shakespeare distorts both aesthetic and ethical understanding. He argues that this misplaced admiration constitutes a significant cultural deception, challenging the notion of Shakespeare's genius and its impact on literary and moral perceptions.