saw plays performed. His dislike of Shakespeare has, I judge, been
overblown. He just did not think much of how Shakespeare handled
fantasy. But much of LotR was directly inspired by his desire to handle
it differently -- the Ents and huorns are Tolkien's version of the moving woods
in Macbeth, and the Witch-king's end a variation on Macbeth's. The Elves
themselves are a reaction to Shakespeare's elves in A Midsummer Night's Dream,
and Bilbo's line about Aragorn (All that is gold does not glitter) a variation
on Shakespeare's from the Merchant of Venice (All that glisters is not gold),
although Chaucer and Cervantes also used the same proverb.
Of course Shakespeare and Tolkien also share many of the same sources, since
Tolkien was unusually conversant in pre-Shakespearian writings, English and
non-English. But Tolkien was also directly influenced by Shakespeare,
although sometimes by contrast rather than similarity.
There is one way in which Tolkien does seem to emulate Shakespeare.
Tolkien's poems are deliberately archaic, even Shakespearean, although I have
to say that Shakespeare was the greater poet. But many of the songs in
Shakespeare's plays are just as nonsensical to modern ears as any of Tom
Bombadil's rhymes!
If you read Tolkien's essay "On Fairy-stories" in the Tolkien reader, you will
see much of what he likes and dislikes about Shakespeare. He also
discusses Shakespeare in several of his
letters.
________________________________________
"‘I think he was a silly little man,' said Councillor Tompkins. ‘Worthless, in fact; no use to Society at all.'
"‘Oh, I don't know,' said Atkins, who was nobody of importance, just a schoolmaster. ‘I am not so sure: it depends on what you mean by use .'
"‘No practical or economic use,' said Tompkins. . . .
. . .
"‘It is proving very useful indeed,' said the Second Voice. ‘As a holiday, and a refreshment. It is splendid for convalescence; and not only for that, for many it is the best introduction to the Mountains. It works wonders in some cases. I am sending more and more there. They seldom have to come back.'"
