Table-Talk · Character

Edmund Kean

The era's most electrifying tragic actor, whose raw stage presence Hazlitt treats as a test case for what theatre can and cannot do with a living face.

supporting

Also known as Mr. Kean, Kean, himself

First appearance: Whether Actors Ought to Sit in the Boxes?

As a supporting figure in Table-Talk, Edmund Kean is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Mentioned for his performance as Richard III, where he borrowed a gesture from a boxing match.

In the storyOn Genius and Common SenseOpen this moment free

See Edmund Kean in On Genius and Common Sense Book page

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Kean belongs to the world of the pit and the green room, the professional whose art Hazlitt dissects with the same seriousness he gives to Shakespeare. The tension is between the actor's craving for offstage admiration and the absurdity of a tragedian glimpsed in a coat and waistcoat among the boxes. Hazlitt's argument that actors should watch rivals from the pit, close as painters to a canvas, turns Kean into a lens for the book's running quarrel between performance and authenticity.

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See Edmund Kean in Whether Actors Ought to Sit in the Boxes?

Character Web

11 connections

A slice of how Edmund Kean sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Professional
Other

Character groups

Literary and Artistic Circle
Mixed Acquaintances
Protagonist

+6 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This passage marks the dramatic climax because it reveals the central psychological reversal: the lady who sco…

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Relationships

William Hazlitt
professional · positive
Hazlitt was a theater critic who extensively reviewed Kean's performances, often praising… How this plays out →

Relationship notes

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See Edmund Kean in Whether Actors Ought to Sit in the Boxes?

In the story

Edmund Kean appears across 4 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

On Genius and Common Sense
Mentioned for his performance as Richard III, where he borrowed a gesture from a boxing match.
On Vulgarity and Affectation
Mentioned in the context of provincial versus London acclaim; Hazlitt suggests Janus would only admire Kean after London approval.
Whether Actors Ought to Sit in the Boxes?
Mentioned as one of the actors who should not obtrude themselves voluntarily when out of character.
On Patronage and Puffing
Mentioned as a theatrical favorite whose popularity was defended against claims of mere novelty.

Chapter companion notes

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See Edmund Kean in Whether Actors Ought to Sit in the Boxes?

See Edmund Kean in On Genius and Common Sense