# Fame, Reputation, and Public Opinion in Table-Talk

> Theme guide for Table-Talk by William Hazlitt.

The text reflects on the fleeting, fickle nature of public acclaim, the mechanics of puffing and patronage, and the superficiality of contemporary fame, contrasting it with the enduring but often neglected value of true genius.

## Where it surfaces

- [Character of Cobbett](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/table_talk_se/chapters/volume-i-character-of-cobbett): Cobbett is portrayed as a 'fourth estate' whose reputation as a powerful political writer is both celebrated and critiqued; his inconsistency and bullying nature affect his public standing.
- [On People with One Idea](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/table_talk_se/chapters/volume-i-on-people-with-one-idea): The chapter discusses the gap between genuine intellectual achievement and public acclaim, highlighting the slow and often unfair process of gaining reputation.
- [The Indian Jugglers](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/table_talk_se/chapters/volume-i-the-indian-jugglers): Hazlitt argues that true greatness is measured by lasting impact on history, not by popularity or temporary notoriety.
- [On Living to One’s-Self](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/table_talk_se/chapters/volume-i-on-living-to-one-s-self): Hazlitt excoriates the public as envious, ungrateful, and fickle, arguing that seeking their applause leads to misery and loss of self.
- [On Thought and Action](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/table_talk_se/chapters/volume-i-on-thought-and-action): Discusses how reputation and public opinion affect the success of practical men versus thinkers, and the role of custom in business.
- [On Will-Making](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/table_talk_se/chapters/volume-i-on-will-making): The desire for posthumous fame and control over one's legacy is a central theme, as seen in conditional bequests and name changes.
- [On Paradox and Commonplace](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/table_talk_se/chapters/volume-i-on-paradox-and-commonplace): Hazlitt critiques poets and reformers who seek notoriety through shocking opinions rather than genuine contribution to public good.
- [On Milton's Sonnets](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/table_talk_se/chapters/volume-ii-on-milton-s-sonnets): Hazlitt contrasts Milton's steadfastness with modern writers who 'chant and chime in with triumphs over their own views,' emphasizing Milton's indifference to shifting public opinion.
- [On Coffeehouse Politicians](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/table_talk_se/chapters/volume-ii-on-coffeehouse-politicians): Hazlitt explores the ephemeral nature of fame, contrasting the lasting genius of Elizabethan writers with the short-lived popularity of contemporary figures like Gray and Byron.
- [On the Aristocracy of Letters](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/table_talk_se/chapters/volume-ii-on-the-aristocracy-of-letters): The chapter explores how reputation is manufactured through pretension and social standing rather than actual achievement, and how the public colludes in this deception.
- [On Criticism](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/table_talk_se/chapters/volume-ii-on-criticism): Hazlitt discusses how critics can destroy an author's reputation through malicious reviews, and how public opinion is swayed by dogmatic assertions.
- [On Great and Little Things](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/table_talk_se/chapters/volume-ii-on-great-and-little-things): The chapter discusses poets' vanity and the desire for recognition, as well as the social dynamics of class and pretension in love and marriage.
- [On Familiar Style](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/table_talk_se/chapters/volume-ii-on-familiar-style): Hazlitt discusses how writers' reputations are affected by their style, and how public opinion may be swayed by superficial grandeur rather than substance.
- [On Effeminacy of Character](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/table_talk_se/chapters/volume-ii-on-effeminacy-of-character): Examines how writers' anxiety about public opinion leads to insipid, unoriginal work and a lack of masculine energy.
- [Whether Actors Ought to Sit in the Boxes?](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/table_talk_se/chapters/volume-ii-whether-actors-ought-to-sit-in-the-boxes): Hazlitt discusses how actors' public visibility affects their reputation and the audience's perception, arguing that too much exposure breeds contempt.
- [On the Disadvantages of Intellectual Superiority](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/table_talk_se/chapters/volume-ii-on-the-disadvantages-of-intellectual-superiority): Discussed in terms of how intellectual superiority often leads to unpopularity and failure in the public eye.
- [On Patronage and Puffing](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/table_talk_se/chapters/volume-ii-on-patronage-and-puffing): Hazlitt dissects how reputation is artificially constructed through puffing, patronage, and sycophancy, rather than genuine merit.
- [On the Fear of Death](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/table_talk_se/chapters/volume-ii-on-the-fear-of-death): Hazlitt discusses how quickly the rich and powerful are forgotten after death, and how posterity only remembers those who conferred benefit.
- [Endnotes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/table_talk_se/chapters/volume-ii-endnotes): Anecdotes about King George III's opinion of Claremont and the public reception of actors illustrate themes of reputation.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/table_talk_se/themes/fame_reputation_and_public_opinion
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/table_talk_se/themes