How Does Doctor Samuel Johnson Defend Shakespeare’s Violation of the Three Unities?

Answer

The three unities—unity of time, unity of place, and unity of action—were important rules for writing plays. These rules came from Aristotle’s (384-322 BC) Poetics (likely between 335 and 323 B.C.E.). Many Renaissance critics believed that all good plays must follow these unities. However, William Shakespeare (1564-1616) did not always follow these rules. In his “Preface to Shakespeare” (1765), Dr. Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) defended Shakespeare and explained why breaking these unities does not make his plays bad.

The Three Unities: Aristotle’s three unities were:

• Unity of Time – The story should happen within one day.
• Unity of Place – The story should happen in one location.
• Unity of Action – The play should have one main story with no extra events.

Shakespeare often ignored the unity of time and place but followed the unity of action. Johnson defended this in his essay.

Johnson’s Defense of Shakespeare: Johnson argued that Shakespeare’s plays do not need to follow all three unities to be great. He gave several reasons:

A. Unity of Time Is Not Important

• Johnson said that a play does not have to happen in one day to be believable.
• The audience knows that a play is not real life. They can imagine that time is passing.
• Shakespeare’s plays often show many days, months, or even years, but the audience can still understand the story.

B. Unity of Place Is Not Important

• Johnson argued that a play does not have to happen in one place.
• The audience actually knows that the stage is not real life. They can imagine different places in their mind.
• In Shakespeare’s plays, scenes change locations. However, the audience can still follow the story.

C. Unity of Action Is Important

• Johnson agreed with Aristotle that a play should have one main story.
• Shakespeare follows this rule because his plays have a clear beginning, middle, and end.
• Even when Shakespeare adds extra events, they connect to the main story and do not confuse the audience.

Plays Are Fiction, Not Reality

• Some critics said that plays must be realistic for the audience to believe them.
• Johnson disagreed. He said that people watch plays for enjoyment, not for strict realism.
• He said, “The spectators are always in their senses and know… that the stage is only a stage.”
• This means that the audience knows a play is not real, so there is no need to follow the unities strictly.

Shakespeare’s Strength Is in Human Nature

• Johnson said that Shakespeare’s plays are great because they show real human emotions and behavior.
• Shakespeare’s characters are natural and believable, even if the story does not follow the three unities.
• Johnson praised Shakespeare’s ability to copy real life in his plays.

Following Rules Does Not Make a Play Good

• Johnson argued that just following the unities does not make a play great.
• What matters is how well a play tells a story and connects with human emotions.
• Shakespeare’s plays are successful because they show deep human truths, not because they follow strict rules.

In conclusion, Dr. Samuel Johnson defended Shakespeare’s plays against critics who believed in the three unities. He explained that unity of action is important, but unity of time and place is unnecessary for a good play. Johnson argued that plays are fiction, and the audience can imagine changes in time and place. He also praised Shakespeare for his understanding of human nature, which makes his plays timeless and valuable.