Alexander Pope, Preface to the Works of Shakespeare (1725). Compare Addison on Homer: "there is scarce a speech or action in the Iliad, which the reader may not ascribe to the person who speaks or acts, without seeing his name at the head of it." in The Spectator, No. 273 (12 January 1711–12).
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had all the speeches been printed without the very names of the persons, I believe one might have applied them with certainty to every speaker.
— Alexander Pope
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "had all the speeches been printed without the very names of the persons, I believe one might have applied them with certainty to every speaker." in the context of "Alexander Pope, Preface to the Works of Shakespeare (1725). Compare Addison on Homer: "there is scarce a speech or action in the Iliad, which the reader may not ascribe to the person who speaks or acts, without seeing his name at the head of it." in The Spectator, No. 273 (12 January 1711–12)." to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "William Shakespeare" (Quotes about Shakespeare: Alphabetised by author)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed February 05, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare (26 April 1564 (baptised) – 23 April 1616) was an English poet, playwright, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist.
About William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare (26 April 1564 (baptised) – 23 April 1616) was an English poet, playwright, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist.
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