Complete Works of William Shakespeare

Complete Works of William Shakespeare refers to comprehensive collections containing the dramatic and poetic canon attributed to the English Renaissance playwright and poet William Shakespeare. These volumes typically encompass approximately 39 plays, 154 sonnets, and several longer narrative poems. The foundational collection is the First Folio, published in 1623 by fellow actors John Heminges and Henry Condell. Modern editions are compiled by scholarly editors and are central to the study of English literature and Western theatrical tradition.

Overview and Publication History

The first attempt to collect Shakespeare's works was the First Folio, formally titled Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies, published seven years after his death. This folio edition included 36 plays, 18 of which had never been printed before, preserving works like Macbeth and The Tempest. Prior to this, individual plays appeared as quarto publications, such as the First Quarto of Hamlet and the Bad quarto of Romeo and Juliet. Subsequent folios, including the Second Folio and the Third Folio, appeared throughout the 17th century, with the latter adding several apocryphal plays. The move towards modern, edited collections began in the 18th century with figures like Nicholas Rowe and Alexander Pope, who produced multi-volume sets for a growing readership.

Contents and Organization

A standard complete works is organized by genre, typically categorizing the plays into comedies, histories, and tragedies, following the structure of the First Folio. Major comedies include A Midsummer Night's Dream and Twelfth Night, while the history cycle covers monarchs from King John to Henry VIII, including the famed Henriad. The tragedies section features seminal works like King Lear, Othello, and Antony and Cleopatra. The volume also contains the poetic works: the Sonnets, Venus and Adonis, The Rape of Lucrece, and The Phoenix and the Turtle. Some editions include disputed or collaborative works such as The Two Noble Kinsmen or Pericles, Prince of Tyre.

Major Editions and Editors

Landmark scholarly editions have shaped the understanding of Shakespeare's text. The 18th century saw influential editions by Alexander Pope, Samuel Johnson, and Edward Capell. The 19th century produced the monumental Cambridge Shakespeare (1863-1866) edited by William George Clark and John Glover, which became a standard reference. The early 20th century's New Cambridge Shakespeare and the mid-century Arden Shakespeare series, under general editors like Una Ellis-Fermor, set new benchmarks in textual and critical analysis. In the United States, the Riverside Shakespeare and the Folger Shakespeare Library editions, the latter edited by Louis B. Wright, became widely used. The late 20th and 21st centuries are defined by the Oxford Shakespeare and the Norton Shakespeare.

Cultural and Scholarly Impact

The consolidation of Shakespeare's works into authoritative collections cemented his status as a central figure in world literature. These volumes are the primary texts for global theatrical production, academic study in institutions like the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge, and literary criticism. They have inspired countless adaptations, from Laurence Olivier's films to re-imaginings by the Royal Shakespeare Company. The works are a frequent subject of Shakespearean scholarship, involving textual analysis, source study examining influences like Plutarch and Raphael Holinshed, and authorship debates. Festivals dedicated to his work, such as the Stratford Festival in Canada and the Globe in London, rely on these complete texts for their repertoires.

Modern Availability and Formats

Complete works are now available in a vast array of formats, from inexpensive mass-market paperbacks to luxurious leather-bound editions. Major publishers like Penguin Books, Oxford University Press, and W. W. Norton & Company produce leading scholarly editions. Digital accessibility has been revolutionized by projects like the Folger Shakespeare Library's online texts and the Internet Shakespeare Editions hosted by the University of Victoria. Many editions are available as e-books and through subscription services, while audio and performance recordings from entities like the BBC and Arkangel Shakespeare provide auditory access. Annotated editions, such as those from the Arden Shakespeare, continue to be essential for students and actors worldwide.

Category:William Shakespeare Category:Collections of plays Category:English Renaissance drama