Who is The Critics, Chesterton, A. C. Bradley, William Empson, T.S. from Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human and what is their importance?

G. K. Chesterton, A. C. Bradley, William Empson, T. S Eliot, and other are cited by the author as to their opinions about various plays. These opinions are used as foils by the author against his own opinions of Shakespeare's works.