John Milton, Areopagitica

Neil Forsyth (Université de Lausanne)

Ed. by Neil Forsyth, Université de Lausanne
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.04: English Writing and Culture of the Seventeenth Century, 1625-1688.
Vol. editors: Jennifer Brady (Rhodes College), Daniel Cook (University of Dundee), Neil Forsyth (Université de Lausanne), Claire Preston (Queen Mary, University of London), J A Roe (University of York), Virginia Mason Vaughan (Clark University)

Domains

Censorship of expression

Dates

First circulation or publication 1645

Places

England (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Treatise

Resources

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Areopagitica

is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential of all works of English prose. One of its many famous phrases is still prominently displayed over the entrance to the Main Reading Room of the New York Public Library: “A good book is the precious lifeblood of a master spirit, embalmed and treasured up on purpose to a life beyond life.” Published on November 23, 1644, it is constructed as an oration to Parliament, and its title alludes to the discourse of the Greek orator Isocrates who had written “from his private house” to the popular assembly on the hill called Areopagus in Athens; the full title is

A Speech for the Liberty of Unlicensed Printing to the Parliament of England.

The tract defends the right of the people to publish any tract without prior…

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2155 words

Citation: Forsyth, Neil. "Areopagitica". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 20 December 2011 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=6536, accessed 19 April 2024.]

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