Carlyletoldusallthatwearemostlyfools。MatthewArnoldandRuskinweremorecircumstantialandmoreabusive。Everybody，includingtheworkersthemselves，knowthattheyaredirty，drunken，foul-mouthed，ignorant，gluttonous，prejudiced：inshort，heirstothepeculiarillsofpovertyandslavery，aswellasco-heirswiththeplutocracytoallthefailingsofhumannature。EvenShelleyadmitted，200yearsafterShakespearwroteCoriolanus，thatuniversalsuffragewasoutofthequestion。Surelytherealtest，notofDemocracy，whichwasnotalivepoliticalissueinShakespear’stime，butofimpartialityinjudgingclasses，whichiswhatonedemandsfromagreathumanpoet，isnotthatheshouldflatterthepooranddenouncetherich，butthatheshouldweighthembothinthesamebalance。NowwhoeverwillreadLearandMeasureforMeasurewillfindstampedonhismindsuchanappalledsenseofthedangerofdressingmaninalittlebriefauthority，suchamercilessstrippingofthepurplefromthe\"poor，bare，forkedanimal\"thatcallsitselfakingandfanciesitselfagod，thatonewonderswhatwastherealnatureofthemysteriousrestraintthatkept\"ElizaandourJames\"fromteachingShakespeartobeciviltocrownedheads，justasonewonderswhyTolstoywasallowedtogofreewhensomanylessterriblelevellerswenttothegalleysorSiberia。FromthematureShakespearwegetnosuchscenesofvillagesnobberyasthatbetweenthestagecountrygentlemanAlexanderIdenandthestageRadicalJackCade。WegettheshepherdinAsYouLikeIt，andmanyhonest，brave，human，andloyalservants，besidetheinevitablecomicones。EvenintheJingoplay，HenryV，wegetBatesandWilliamsdrawnwithallrespectandhonorasnormalrankandfilemen。InJuliusCaesar，ShakespearwenttoworkwithawillwhenhetookhiscuefromPlutarchinglorifyingregicideandtransfiguringtherepublicans。Indeedhero-worshippershaveneverforgivenhimforbelittlingCaesarandfailingtoseethatsideofhisassassinationwhichmadeGoethedenounceitasthemostsenselessofcrimes。PuttheplaybesidetheCharlesIofWills，inwhichCromwelliswrittendowntoapointatwhichtheJackCadeofHenryVIbecomesaheroincomparison；andthenbelieve，ifyoucan，thatShakespearwasoneofthemthat\"crookthepregnanthingesofthekneewherethriftmayfollowfawning。\"ThinkofRosencrantz，Guildenstern，Osric，thefopwhoannoyedHotspur，andadozenpassagesconcerningsuchpeople！Ifsuchevidencecanproveanything（andMrHarrisreliesthroughoutonsuchevidence）Shakespearloathedcourtiers。
If，ontheotherhand，Shakespear’scharactersaremostlymembersoftheleisuredclasses，thesamethingistrueofMrHarris’sownplaysandmine。Industrialslaveryisnotcompatiblewiththatfreedomofadventure，thatpersonalrefinementandintellectualculture，thatscopeofaction，whichthehigherandsubtlerdramademands。
EvenCervanteshadfinallytodropDonQuixote’stroubleswithinnkeepersdemandingtobepaidforhisfoodandlodging，andmakehimasfreeofeconomicdifficultiesasAmadisdeGaul。Hamlet’sexperiencessimplycouldnothavehappenedtoaplumber。Apoormanisusefulonthestageonlyasablindmanis：toexcitesympathy。
ThepovertyoftheapothecaryinRomeoandJulietproducesagreateffect，andevenpointsthesoundmoralthatapoormancannotaffordtohaveaconscience；butifallthecharactersoftheplayhadbeenaspoorashe，itwouldhavebeennothingbutamelodramaofthesortthattheSicilianplayersgaveushere；andthatwasnotthebestthatlayinShakespear’spower。Whenpovertyisabolished，andleisureandgraceoflifebecomegeneral，theonlyplayssurvivingfromourepochwhichwillhaveanyrelationtolifeasitwillbelivedthenwillbethoseinwhichnoneofthepersonsrepresentedaretroubledwithwantofmoneyorwretcheddrudgery。Ourplaysofpovertyandsqualor，nowtheonlyonesthataretruetothelifeofthemajorityoflivingmen，willthenbeclassedwiththerecordsofmisersandmonsters，andreadonlybyhistoricalstudentsofsocialpathology。
ThenconsiderShakespear’skingsandlordsandgentlemen！WouldevenJohnBallorJeremiahcomplainthattheyareflattered？Surelyamoremercilesslyexposedstringofscoundrelsnevercrossedthestage。Theverymonarchwhoparalyzesarebelbyappealingtothedivinitythathedgesaking，isadrunkenandsensualassassin，andispresentlykilledcontemptuouslybeforeoureyesinspiteofhishedgeofdivinity。IcouldwriteasconvincingachapteronShakespear’sDickensianprejudiceagainstthethroneandthenobilityandgentryingeneralasMrHarrisorErnestCrosbieontheotherside。IcouldevengosofarastocontendthatoneofShakespear’sdefectsishislackofanintelligentcomprehensionoffeudalism。HehadofcoursenoprevisionofdemocraticCollectivism。Hewas，exceptinthecommonplacesofwarandpatriotism，aprivateerthroughandthrough。