nd of the nineteenth century
Shakespeare's works were not merely a household possession, they were to
be had in every possible form to suit every possible taste or
convenience.

[Page Heading: On the Stage]

The extension of Shakespeare's popularity on the stage was concurrent
with this widening range of readers. In the first thirty years of the
eighteenth century, which marked a revolution in the nature of the drama
and the taste of the audiences, Shakespeare's tragedies continued to be
among the most frequently acted stock plays at the two patented
theaters. The middle of the century saw the revival of most of the
romantic comedies and the appearance of David Garrick. Some of the
adaptations continued, but others were displaced by genuine
Shakespeare, as in _Macbeth_, _The Merchant of Venice_, and _Romeo and
Juliet_. _All's Well That Ends Well_, _As You Like It_, _Cymbeline_,
_Much Ado_, _Twelfth Night_, _The Winter's Tale_, were all revived. In
fact, if we include adaptations, every play of Shakespeare was seen on
the stage during the eighteenth century, with the exceptions of _2_ and
_3 Henry VI_, only parts of these appearing, and of _Love's Labour's
Lost_, of which a version prepared for acting was published in 1762 but
not produced.

The traditions of Betterton had been carried on by Wilks (1670-1732),
Barton Booth (1681-1733), Colley Cibber (1671-1757), and others. But the
prevailing manner was condemned as stiff and lifeless in comparison with
the energy of Garrick's presentation. From his first triumph in Richard
III in 1741, to his farewell performance of Lear in 1776, he won a
series of signal successes in both tragedy and comedy, in Hamlet, Lear,
Macbeth, Richard III, Falconbridge, Romeo, Hotspur, Iago, Leontes,
Posthumus, Benedick, and Antony. Garrick's services to Shakespeare
extended beyond the parts which he impersonated. He revived many plays,
and though he garbled the texts freely, yet in comparison with earlier
practice he really had some right to boast that he had restored the text
of Shakespeare to the stage. Further, his example led to an increased
popularity of Shakespeare in the theater and afforded new incentives for
other actors. Mrs. Clive, Mrs. Cibber, and Mrs. Pritchard were among
the women who acted with Garrick. Macklin, by his revival of Shylock as
a tragic character, Henderson by his impersonation of Falstaff, and John
Palmer in secondary characters, as Iago, Mercutio, Touchstone, an