# William Shakespeare — The Private Papers of Henry Ryecroft character guide

> William Shakespeare in The Private Papers of Henry Ryecroft by George Gissing.

**Role:** minor

**Also known as:** Shakespeare

**First appearance:** 0003-i

## Who they are

Frequently referenced as a literary touchstone and source of inspiration.

## In the story

### [Part I: Spring](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_private_papers_of_henry_ryecroft_se/chapters/part-i-spring)

Ryecroft reads Shakespeare's sonnets and finds them to be the supreme expression of human experience.

### [Spring Memories and the Hardships of Youth](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_private_papers_of_henry_ryecroft_se/chapters/x)

Mentioned as one of the few books Ryecroft possessed during his impoverished days.

### [XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_private_papers_of_henry_ryecroft_se/chapters/xii)

Ryecroft's Cambridge Shakespeare, inherited from his father, evokes childhood memories.

### [XX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_private_papers_of_henry_ryecroft_se/chapters/xx)

Mentioned as a supreme artist who wrote with apparent carelessness yet produced enduring works.

### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_private_papers_of_henry_ryecroft_se/chapters/v)

One of the great authors Ryecroft reads on Sunday.

### [XIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_private_papers_of_henry_ryecroft_se/chapters/xix)

Referenced through the line 'We have heard the chimes at midnight, Master Shallow!' from Henry IV, Part 2.

### [XXVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_private_papers_of_henry_ryecroft_se/chapters/xxvii)

The poet whose work The Tempest is the subject of Ryecroft's reflection.

### [The English Love of Nature in Poetry and Art](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_private_papers_of_henry_ryecroft_se/chapters/iv)

Cited for his natural descriptions and allusions to country life.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_private_papers_of_henry_ryecroft_se/characters/shakespeare
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_private_papers_of_henry_ryecroft_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_private_papers_of_henry_ryecroft_se/characters