David Garrick

David Garrick, a sort of jack-of-all-trades when it came to the theatre in the 18th century, is an ideal lens through which to observe the time period. His life time spans an age of important developments in technology and thinking, and through Garrick’s work, he left an imprint on British society and national identity, particularly in regards to Shakespeare. By examining his life and works, one may begin to see just how great an impact he had, and how British national identity came to be so closely tied with the image of Shakespeare

Garrick was born in at the Angel Inn in Hereford on February 19, 1717, to Captain Peter Garrick and his wife. Shortly after his birth, Garrick’s family relocated to Lichfield, where Garrick was raised and attended grammar school (Burnim 2). For his later education, Garrick was sent to Edial Hall with his older brother, under the instruction of Samuel Johnson, who would later become a close friend and travel companion (Burnim 2). After Edial Hall was shut down a mere six months after he began study there, Garrick planned to study law (Twickenham 1). However, after his father’s death and an inheritance from his uncle, he became involved in his family’s wine business, Garrick & Co. Wine Merchants, albeit to little success (Burnim 2). This business often led Garrick into places of entertainment, and he became familiar with the managers for local theatres, and inevitably was pulled into the theatre world (Twickenham 2).

He debued at the Outlaw Theatre in London on October 19th, 1741, playing as Richard III. He was hugely successful and became almost instantaneously popular. William Pitt went so far as to call him “the best actor the English stage had produced”, though his entrance into the theatrical w...

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