Shakespeare and The Bible: Showing How Much The Great Dramatist Was Indebted to Holy Writ for His Profound Knowledge of Human Nature

"Less is said to be known of Shakespeare than of any other writer who attained equal celebrity during his lifetime. This may be partly owing to the absence of that periodical literature which is now the rapid vehicle of information, and partly to his calling, and the nature of his great works, which, however well adapted for the closet, were originally designed for the stage…. The reformation could not fail, from the very nature of it, to tinge the literature of the Elizabethan era. It gave a logical and disputatious character to the age, and produced men mighty in the Scriptures." — Introduction.

"Occasionally the coincidences are detected with considerable acumen, and the dramatist is traced to a Scriptural source with much ingenuity. The best part of the book is towards the conclusion, where the general resemblance between the inspired writers and Shakespeare is pointed out. Here is a fair ground of comparison, and it is giving to the mighty dramatist his highest due thus exultingly to compare him." — Critic.

"Subtle and lucky parallelisms; the book deserves to occupy a few pages of the next edition of Shakespeare. Mr. Eaton's elaborate comparison of the stories of Macbeth and Ahab deserve praise. He shows that, as the Bible, Shakespeare associates light with good, darkness with evil; that he describes men as born with unchangeable natures, sheep and goats, wolves and lambs. He, not without justice, shows scripture influence in the idea of Hamlet's ghost, and in the solemnity and frequency with which the poet alludes to the parable of Dives and Lazarus." — Athenæum.

"This is, we believe, the first time that an attempt has been regularly and systematically made to bring out the actual scripture passages to which Shakespeare has alluded, and, therefore, Mr. Eaton has to be congratulated for the manner in which he has treated such a subject." — Bell's Messenger.

"The reader will find classed together a very remarkable array of passages, references, and allusions, not often observed in this light, but whose accumulative force is great, and justifies our author's theory. This collection of parallel passages has a curious effect, and will give even the oldest Shakespearian a new view of the mind, and powers and training of our greatest bard." — Birmingham Journal.