Continental Drama: The Five Foot Shelf of Classics Vol. XXVI (in 51 Volumes): 16

Author names not noted above: Jean Racine Molière Gotthold Ephraim Lessing Friedrich von Schiller Originally published between 1909 and 1917 under the name Harvard Classics this stupendous 51-volume set-a collection of the greatest writings from literature philosophy history and mythology-was assembled by American academic CHARLES WILLIAM ELIOT (1834-1926) Harvard Universitys longest-serving president. Also known as Dr. Eliots Five Foot Shelf it represented Eliots belief that a basic liberal education could be gleaned by reading from an anthology of works that could fit on five feet of bookshelf. Volume XXVI features the six 17th- and 18th-century plays that have most influenced Western European literature and culture: - Life Is a Dream by Spanish dramatist PEDRO CALDERÓN DE LA BARCA (1600-1681) his 1635 allegory debating free will and fate - Polyeucte by French playwright and father of French tragedy PIERRE CORNEILLE (1606-1684) his 1642 drama based on the life of the martyr Saint Polyeuctus - Phèdre by French dramatist JEAN RACINE (1639-1699) his 1677 tragedy from Greek mythology - Tartuffe by the French comic master Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (1622-1673) aka MOLIÈRE his 1664 masterpiece about hypocrisy - Minna von Barnhelm by German playwright GOTTHOLD EPHRAIM LESSING (1729-1781) a groundbreaking comedy - Wilhelm Tell by German author FRIEDRICH VON SCHILLER (1759-1805) a tragedy of the Swiss fight for independence in the 14th century.