--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Among the English authors, Shakespeare…" description: "\"Among the English authors, Shakespeare has incomparably excelled all others. That noble extravagance of fancy, which he had in so great perfection, tho..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ac/joseph-addison-377_books_among-the-english-authors-shakespeare-ha_1781675.jpg" --- # Among the English authors, Shakespeare has incomparably… ![“Among the English authors, Shakespeare has incomparably excelled all others. That noble extravagance of fancy, which he had in so great perfection, thoroughly qualified him to touch the weak, superstitious part of his readers' imagination, and made him capable of succeeding where he had nothing to…” quote by Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ac/joseph-addison-377_books_among-the-english-authors-shakespeare-ha_1781675.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ac/joseph-addison-377_books_among-the-english-authors-shakespeare-ha_1781675.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ac/joseph-addison-377_books_among-the-english-authors-shakespeare-ha_1781675.jpg) > “Among the English authors, Shakespeare has incomparably excelled all others. That noble extravagance of fancy, which he had in so great perfection, thoroughly qualified him to touch the weak, superstitious part of his readers' imagination, and made him capable of succeeding where he had nothing to support him besides the strength of his own genius.” [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Shakespeare’s imaginative power transcended ordinary limits, allowing him to connect deeply with readers’ emotions despite lacking external support **In simple terms:** Imagination bridges gaps between creator and audience Key Takeaway Cultivate imagination to engage audiences Themes creativity imagination connection Mood admiring inspired Type literary analytical When to use this quote - Writing - public speaking - teaching Key Concepts Literary genius emotional resonance Questions to Reflect On - How does imagination compensate for lack of resources? - When is imagination insufficient without structure? A Different Perspective Relying solely on imagination may overlook practical constraints and audience diversity ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Authors Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authors-shakespeare-1866960/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Capable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capable/) [English Authors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/english-authors-216086/) [Excelled Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excelled-noble-1866963/) [Extravagance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extravagance/) [Fancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fancy/) [Genius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genius/) [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [Incomparably Excelled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incomparably-excelled-1866961/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/noble/) [Noble Extravagance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/noble-extravagance-1866962/) [Perfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfection/) [Qualified](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/qualified/) [Reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reader/) [Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shakespeare/) [Shakespeare Incomparably](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shakespeare-incomparably-1866959/) [Succeed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/succeed/) [Superstitious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/superstitious/) [Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support/) [Weak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weak/) ## Related quotes > [Take away from English authors their copyrights, and you would very soon take away from England her authors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/take-away-from-english-authors-their-copyrights-and-you-would-very/) [Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/) > [You couldn't buy any English authors or anything that came from America, like jeans. 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