From Pine to Pineapple: Nature in the Shakespeare Criticism of S. Johnson and S.T. Coleridge

Abstract

The concept of ‘nature’ often appears in the British Shakespeare criticism of the 18th–19th centuries. The very use of this term is of interest, since it often turns out to be associated with other important ideas that form the theoretical basis for a critic’s perception of Shakespeare’s personality and works. However, this article examines cases when Shakespeare critics refer specifically to the natural world (mainly to plants) in their works. The criticism by two authors: S. Johnson and S.T. Coleridge – is studied to demonstrate the evolution in the use of plant metaphors in relation to Shakespeare. The peculiarities of these metaphors are determined by several factors: cultural and historical context, the critics` aesthetic and philosophical views, their personal emotional attitude to the Bard’s works. At the end of the article the evident connections between Johnson`s and Coleridge`s plant metaphors are viewed.