The Shrewsbury Chronicle printed William Hazlitt’s first published words in July 1791, a letter condemning the Birmingham riots. This early foray into political commentary marked the beginning of a life defined by an uncompromising commitment to individual liberty, intellectual independence, and the detailed exploration of both the human mind and the cultural currents of the nineteenth century.
Formative Years and Dissenting Education
Born in 1778 at Maidstone, Hazlitt experienced a nomadic childhood that included a period in the United States, where his father attempted to establish a Unitarian congregation. By 1793, Hazlitt enrolled at New College at Hackney, a seminary outside London. Although he did not complete the requirements for the ministry, the curriculum—which included Greek, Latin, mathematics, and philosophy—fostered his lifelong reliance on independent inquiry. Under the influence of thinkers like Joseph Priestley and Richard Price, he developed a profound opposition to tyranny that remained a core tenet of his political essays for decades.
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Following his time at Hackney, Hazlitt dedicated his efforts to studying the philosophy of mind. He engaged deeply with the works of John Locke, David Hume, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, striving to construct a comprehensive treatise on what he termed the natural disinterestedness of the human mind. His reading encompassed a broad spectrum of English, Scottish, and French thinkers, driving him to analyze humanity as both a social and political entity. This period of intense study established the analytical rigor he later applied to his critiques of literature and art.
Literary and Critical Legacy
Throughout his career in the United Kingdom, Hazlitt worked as a translator, journalist, and painter, eventually establishing himself as a significant essayist and literary critic. Notable publications such as Characters of Shakespear's Plays, Table-Talk, and The Spirit of the Age demonstrate his analytical capability. During his life, he moved in circles that included contemporaries like William Wordsworth, John Keats, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. He died in London in 1830, leaving behind a body of work that established his reputation as one of the most discerning critics of his era.
Fast facts
- Born: 1778, Maidstone, United Kingdom
- Died: 1830, London, United Kingdom
- Citizenship: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
- Occupations: writer, translator, painter, journalist, literary critic, philosopher
- Key works: Characters of Shakespear's Plays, Table-Talk, The Spirit of the Age
Questions readers ask
What subjects did William Hazlitt write about?
He was a versatile author whose output included literary and drama criticism, social commentary, philosophy, and political essays.
Was William Hazlitt only a writer?
No, he was also a painter, translator, and journalist, demonstrating a wide range of professional interests throughout his life.
Achievements
- Notable work: Characters of Shakespear's Plays
- Notable work: Table-Talk
- Notable work: The Spirit of the Age
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