Via Arts and Letters Daily and The Weekly Standard:

Stephen Greenblatt and Peter G. Platt argue that Montaigne had a clear influence on William Shakespeare, a connection that affirms Montaigne’s intellect and standing within the Western canon.

Click the link to see more: The Inner Light | The Weekly Standard

Points:

  • “Greenblatt begins with a short critical essay on Montaigne references in Shakespeare’s plays, and Platt follows with a chapter on John Florio, who produced the first complete English translation of Montaigne’s essays, the version that Shakespeare most likely read.”
  • “…the mere existence of these two men was a miracle in itself.”

Writers will be interested in how one author’s work was influenced by another’s work.