author
Henry Norman Hudson
1814–1886
Remembered as an influential American Shakespeare scholar, he helped generations of readers approach the plays with clear notes and commentary. He also wrote widely on literature and religion, bringing a teacher’s voice to both subjects.
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About the author
Born in Cornwall, Vermont, on January 28, 1814, Henry Norman Hudson became one of the best-known American interpreters of Shakespeare in the 19th century. He graduated from Middlebury College in 1840 and went on to teach, lecture, and write, building a reputation for making Shakespeare’s plays more approachable for students and general readers.
Hudson was also an Episcopal clergyman and served in several literary and religious roles during his career, including work as an editor and professor. Alongside his teaching and church work, he published books on Shakespeare and literary criticism, and he is especially associated with annotated editions of Shakespeare that remained influential long after his lifetime.
He died on January 16, 1886, in Massachusetts. Today he is chiefly remembered for the energy and seriousness he brought to Shakespeare studies, and for helping shape how American readers encountered the plays in classrooms and in print.