Illusion and the Drama

Illusion and the Drama, Volume 1, is a scholarly work of literary criticism that examines the evolution of illusion in drama. Frederick Burwick analyzes the intellectual shift from Enlightenment to Romantic thought across England, France, and Germany. The text explores the critical distinction between illusion as perceived reality and as delusion, referencing key figures such as Johnson, Coleridge, Diderot, and Schlegel.

This study of drama focuses on the subjective dimensions of aesthetic response, incorporating perspectives from theorists like Husserl, Heidegger, and Derrida. Burwick evaluates the tension between the concept of perfect illusion and the necessity of skeptical distance. By comparing the works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge and August Wilhelm Schlegel, the author clarifies the radical differences in their critical approaches and addresses historical claims regarding the influence of Schlegel on Coleridge.