Anthony David Nuttall was an English literary critic and academic whose work delves into the profound connections between literature and philosophy. He is particularly celebrated for his studies of Shakespeare, unearthing the philosophical underpinnings within the playwright's works, and for exploring the literary repercussions of empiricism and solipsism. His scholarship is characterized by extensive reading, common sense, deep humanity, and a unique ability to weave in occasional, sometimes eccentric, references to popular culture. Nuttall's writing offers a distinctive voice, marked by robust insight and a broad engagement with both classical and modern literary traditions.
In one of the best guides to Shakespeare's plays, Nuttall studies the intellectual preoccupations and questions that engross Shakespeare from his early plays to the late romances and illustrates how the plays return to, modify, and complicate these preoccupations.