"Characters of Shakespeare's Plays" by William Hazlitt is a book of criticism of Shakespeare's plays. It paved the way for the increased appreciation of Shakespeare's genius that was characteristic of later nineteenth-century criticism. It was also the first book to cover all of Shakespeare's plays, intended as a guide for the general reader. The center of attention is in large part on the characters, described often with a personal slant and using memorable expressions, and incorporating psychological insights that were to become highly influential in later criticism.
