his imitations are not in all respects better than
his models."

Here the grave accusation is distinctly made that Shakspere imitated
Beaumont and Fletcher, and to support it, reference is made to one man
only, Professor Thorndike, his pupil and disciple.

And so, in this new case, we have two judges, and the curious fact that
the instructor refers to the student and the student to the instructor
as the sole authority for the soundness of the decision.

The "Introduction" of Professor Thorndike to his "Influence of Beaumont
and Fletcher on Shakspere" sufficiently shows the animus of his essay:
he cites the libel of Greene, and intimates that it is an accusation of
plagiarism which we have rejected, but which "contains an element of
truth worth keeping in mind"; he repeats in positive words the charge of
Professor Wendell that Shakspere began by "imitating or revamping the
work of others"; that "Titus Andronicus" and "Henry VI.," "so far as
they are his, are certainly imitative of other plays of the time," and
adds that "Richard II." and "Richard III." show the influence of
Marlowe's tragedies, and "Love's Labour's Lost" of Lilly's comedies.

We have sufficiently answered as to "Henry VI.," "Titus Andronicus," and
"Love's Labour's Lost." There is no proof offered as to the histories of
the two Richards. The assertion is made without authority or example,
without even the application of the usual "verse-tests" by which
authorship is so conveniently determined.

Having repeated the erroneous and unsupported statements of his master,
Professor Thorndike announces that after these early "imitations" little
attention has been given to Shakspere's subsequent indebtedness to his
contemporaries, for the reason that "to most students it has seemed
absurd," while to him it is clear that "Hamlet" and "Lear" "contain
traces of the 'tragedy of blood type'"; that "a closer adherence to
current forms can be seen in the relation between the 'Merchant of
Venice' and the 'Jew of Malta,'" "or in the many points of similarity
between 'Hamlet' and the ... tragedies dealing with the theme of blood
revenge," and that "characters ... are often clearly developments of
types familiar on the stage," "as for example, Iago is a development of
the conventional stage villain." He is certainly correct in saying that
to most students these assumptions "seem absurd." Let us examine them
briefly, for the purpose of learning whether they deserve any mo