Definition

Noun: - The idolization or excessive admiration of William Shakespeare: This term refers to the practice of venerating the English playwright and poet William Shakespeare to an extreme or uncritical degree, treating him as an idol.

Usage

• This word is a formal and somewhat specialized term, often used in literary criticism or cultural discourse.
• It is typically used to describe an attitude or cultural phenomenon, not an individual action.
• It functions as a standard noun (e.g., subject, object of a preposition).

Examples

• The professor's lecture criticized modern bardolatry, arguing it prevents a clear-eyed analysis of the texts.
• Some festivals border on bardolatry, celebrating the author more than the substance of his work.
• Literary bardolatry became particularly intense during the 19th century.

Advanced Usage

• The term often carries a critical or slightly pejorative connotation, implying the admiration is unreasoning or fanatical.
• It can be used in compound nouns or descriptive phrases (e.g., "bardolatry culture," "the pitfalls of bardolatry").

Variants and Related Words

• Bardolater (noun): A person who engages in or is characterized by bardolatry; a worshipper of Shakespeare.
  • He was a true bardolater, collecting every edition of the plays.
• Bardolatrous (adjective): Characterized by or relating to bardolatry.
  • His bardolatrous praise ignored the play's evident flaws.

Synonyms

• Idolization: The act of admiring or loving someone very much, often to an excessive degree.
• Deification: The action of making someone or something into a god; treating someone with excessive admiration.
• Hero-worship: Excessive admiration for someone, treating them as a hero.

Antonyms

• Criticism: The expression of disapproval of someone or something based on perceived faults or mistakes.
• Disparagement: The act of speaking about someone or something in a way that shows strong disapproval or lack of respect.

Noun

1. the idolization of William Shakespeare