this thesis is going to delineate the concept of the reader as implied in 18th century literary theory; based on the study of the major reader oriented elements of criticism of the age-taste, the sublime, and aesthetic pleasure-its aim is to explain what sott of reader is implied and what kind of response on the part of the reader is proposed in 18th century english literary theory and aesthetics. as mentioned above, this study concerns the concept of reader by studing some of the main elements of the literary theory of 18th century england.