His approach was something new. There had been criticisms of Shakespeare before, but either they were not comprehensive or they were not aimed at the general reading public. As Ralph Wardle put it, before Hazlitt wrote this book, "no one had ever attempted a comprehensive study of all of Shakespeare, play by play, that readers could read and reread with pleasure as a guide to their understanding and appreciation".All of Shakespeare's plays, that is, if one excludes those few plays not then believed to be primarily by Shakespeare or by him at all. Wardle, p. 204. Somewhat loosely organised, and even rambling, the studies offer personal appreciations of the plays that are unashamedly enthusiastic. Hazlitt does not present a measured account of the plays' strengths and weaknesses, as did Dr. Johnson, or view them in terms of a "mystical" theory, as Hazlitt thought his contemporary A.W. Schlegel did (though he approves of many of Schlegel's judgements and quotes him liberally). Without apology, he addresses his readers as fellow lovers of Shakespeare and shares with them the beauties of what he thought the finest passages of the plays he liked best.Wardle, pp.197–202.
his approach was something new there had been criticisms of shakespeare before but either they were not comprehensive or they were not aimed at the general reading public as ralph wardle put it before hazlitt wrote this book "no one had ever attempted a comprehensive study of all of shakespeare play by play that readers could read and reread with pleasure as a guide to their understanding and appreciation"all of shakespeare's plays that is if one excludes those few plays not then believed to be primarily by shakespeare or by him at all wardle p 204 somewhat loosely organised and even rambling the studies offer personal appreciations of the plays that are unashamedly enthusiastic hazlitt does not present a measured account of the plays' strengths and weaknesses as did dr johnson or view them in terms of a "mystical" theory as hazlitt thought his contemporary aw schlegel did (though he approves of many of schlegel's judgements and quotes him liberally) without apology he addresses his readers as fellow lovers of shakespeare and shares with them the beauties of what he thought the finest passages of the plays he liked bestwardle pp197–202