Shakespeare, and his Elizabethan audiences were very interested in the supernatural, ghosts, fairies, and the various powers of magicians and enchanters. All ensuing views of fairies and fairyland, from Shakespeare's times to the present, are hugely influenced by the Bard's plays and poetry. Myriad illustrators have depicted Shakespearean fairies, and we here present some of our favorites with quotations from his plays. Included are such luminary artists and illustrators such as John Everett Millais, Arthur Rackham and Joshua Reynolds. Among the plays illustrated are Macbeth, The Tempest and, of course, A Midsummer Night's Dream.
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