Passages of this drama illustrated in the present work.
| Act | ii. | scene | 1., | ii. | 125. |
| Act | iii. | scene | 1., | i. | [378]. ii. 455, 456. |
| Act | v. | scene | 1., | i. | [222]. |
- Menæchmi of Plautus, the basis of Shakspeare's Comedy of Errors, ii. 286-288.
- Merchant of Venice, date of, ii. 385.
- Probable source of its fable, 385, 386.
- Analysis of it, 387, 388.
- And of its characters, 388-390.
- Particularly that of Shylock, 388, 389.
Illustrations of this drama.
| Act | ii. | scene | 8., | ii. | 389. |
| Act | iii. | scene | 2., | ii. | 93. |
| Act | iv. | scene | 1., | i. | [374]. |
| Act | v. | scene | 1., | i. | [187]. [381]. ii. 390. |
- Meres (Francis), critical notice of his "Comparative Discourse of our English Poets, with the Greeke, Latine, and Italian Poets," i. [468].
- His censure of the popularity of "La Morte D'Arthur," [525].
- Encomium on Shakspeare's Venus and Adonis, ii. 29.
- And on several of his dramas, 287.
- Merry Pin, explanation of the term, i. [131]. [note].
- Merry Wives of Windsor, tradition respecting the origin of, ii. 435, 436.
- Analysis of its characters, 436, 437.
Passages of this drama illustrated in the present work.
| Act | i. | scene | 1., | i. | [252]. [307]. [409], ii. 178. |
| scene | 4., | i. | [82]. | ||
| Act | ii. | scene | 1., | i. | [577]. |
| scene | 2., | ii. | 134. | ||
| Act | iii. | scene | 3., | i. | [271]. [577]. ii. 94. 114. |
| scene | 5., | ii. | 132. | ||
| Act | iv. | scene | 2., | i. | [362]. |
| scene | 5., | ii. | 117. 169. | ||
| Act | v. | scene | 5., | i. | [82]. ii. 340. 341. 343. 347. |
- Metrical Romances, origin of, i. [522], [523].
- Michael (St.) and All Angels, festival of, i. [334].
- Superstitious doctrine of the ministry of angels, [334-340].
- Michaelmas-geese, [340], [341].
- Middleton (Christopher), a minor poet of the age of Shakspeare, i. [693].
- Middleton (Thomas), a minor poet of the age of Shakspeare, i. [693].
- Wrote several pieces for the stage, in conjunction with other dramatic poets, ii. 565.
- Estimate of his merits as a dramatist, 565, 566.
- Illustrations of his "Fair Quarrel," i. [224].
- And "No Wit, No Help like a Woman's," i. [226].
- Midsummer-Eve, superstitious observances on, i. [328].
- Midsummer-Eve fire, of Pagan origin, [ibid.] [329].
- Fern-seed only visible on that eve, [329].
- Spirits visible of persons, who are to die in the following year, [330], [331].
- Recent observance of Midsummer-Eve in Cornwall, [331].
- Visionary appearance of future husbands and wives supposed to take place on this Eve, [332], [333].
- Plays and masques performed then, [333], [334].
- Midsummer-Night's Dream, composed for Midsummer-Eve, i. [333], [334].
- Its probable date, ii. 298, 299.
- One of Shakspeare's earlier pieces, 299.
- Critical remarks on some of its characters, 300-302.
- And on the fairy mythology of this play, 302. 337-355.
- (See also the article "[Fairies]," in this Index.)
Passages of this drama illustrated in this work.