Sir Walter Scott and the Contract Between Playwrights, Actors, and Theater Audiences

Abstract

Examines Scott’s Encyclopedia Britannica article on drama as a means of explaining his ideas not only about the theater but also about the responsibility of both playgoers and novel readers when interpreting literature. Compares his theories to those of Carlyle and Lamb. Outlines Scott’s examination of the differences in the theater arts as practiced in England and on the Continent.