Maurice Morgann facts for kids

Maurice Morgann (1725-1802) was an important person in the British government and a clever writer about Shakespeare. He is most famous for his book An Essay on the Dramatic Character of Sir John Falstaff.

A Life in Government

Early Life and Work

Maurice Morgann was born in Blaenbylan, Pembrokeshire, a place in Wales. We don't know much about his family or how he was educated. This is because he asked for all his personal papers to be destroyed after he died.

By 1756, Morgann was living in London. He got a job at the Royal Mint, which makes coins. His job was called Deputy Weigher and Teller. It was a "sinecure" job, meaning it paid him even if he didn't do much work.

In 1757, he wrote his first book, An Inquiry Regarding the Nature and End of a National Militia. This book supported a new law about having a national army. It showed that he agreed with the Tory political party. They did not like having a large, permanent army or high taxes.

Working with Lord Shelburne

From 1762, Morgann worked as a personal secretary and advisor to the Earl of Shelburne. Lord Shelburne was a powerful politician. He was in charge of the Board of Trade the next year.

When Shelburne became Secretary of State in 1766, Morgann became one of his main assistants. He also got another easy job as secretary for the Province of New Jersey in America. In 1767, he was sent by the Privy Council (a group of royal advisors) to Canada. He visited Quebec in 1768.

Important Ideas and Actions

Morgann believed that people in Canada should be allowed to practice Catholicism. This idea helped create the Quebec Act of 1774. This law gave more rights to French-speaking Catholics in Canada.

He also strongly opposed the slave trade. He thought it would bring "terror and destruction" to America. In 1772, he wrote a plan to end slavery in the West Indies.

In 1782, Morgann went to New York. His goal was to help bring the American colonies and Great Britain back together. However, the American Congress refused to meet with him. Morgann's report about the situation in America likely helped convince Lord Shelburne, who was then Prime Minister, to sign a treaty. This treaty recognized that the American colonies were now independent.

Later Life

Morgann returned to England in 1783. He stopped working for Lord Shelburne in 1786. In 1795, he published another book. It was called Considerations on the Present Internal and External Condition of France.

In this book, he suggested that the United States and Britain should work together. He believed they needed to stop the dangerous ideas coming from France. He thought these ideas could lead to chaos. The writer Richard Brinsley Sheridan agreed with his analysis.

Maurice Morgann died in March 1802. He was never married.

A Clever Literary Critic

Understanding Falstaff

Morgann's famous book, An Essay on the Dramatic Character of Sir John Falstaff, was published in 1777. At that time, many writers would defend a Shakespeare character if people thought they were bad.

In his book, Morgann disagreed with Dr. Johnson, another famous writer. Dr. Johnson thought Falstaff was a drunken coward who wasn't worth admiring. But Morgann argued that Shakespeare wanted the audience to feel sympathy for Falstaff. He believed Falstaff was actually a kind man with true courage. He only seemed like a coward. For example, when Falstaff was robbed, he didn't run away until his friends left him. He even fought back against the robbers.

Morgann described Falstaff as a mix of many different things: "he is a character made up by Shakespeare wholly of incongruities; - a man at once young and old, enterprising and fat, a dupe and a wit, harmless and wicked, weak in principle and resolute by constitution, cowardly in appearance and brave in reality; a knave without malice, a lyar without deceit; and a knight, a gentleman and a soldier, without either dignity, decency or honour".

Influence on Other Writers

Boswell said that Dr. Johnson made fun of Morgann's idea. Johnson joked that if Falstaff wasn't a coward, then maybe Iago (another bad Shakespeare character) was good!

However, Morgann's book greatly influenced how people understood Henry IV, Part I. It inspired other literary critics like Edward Dowden and A. C. Bradley. Even the composer Edward Elgar used Morgann's ideas for his music piece, Falstaff (1913).