To Be or Not To Be...
Exciting news for Shakespeare aficionados. The British Library has digitized 93 copies of 21 plays written by the most genius writer of all time. The quartos can be viewed online at The British Library web site.
Here is some background information on the quartos from the web site:
"Why are the quartos important?
None of Shakespeare’s manuscripts survive, so the printed texts of his plays are our only source for what he originally wrote. The quarto editions are the texts closest to Shakespeare’s time. Some are thought to preserve either his working drafts (his foul papers) or his fair copies. Others are thought to record versions remembered by actors who performed the plays, providing information about staging practices in Shakespeare’s day."
Exciting news for Shakespeare aficionados. The British Library has digitized 93 copies of 21 plays written by the most genius writer of all time. The quartos can be viewed online at The British Library web site.
Here is some background information on the quartos from the web site:
"Why are the quartos important?
None of Shakespeare’s manuscripts survive, so the printed texts of his plays are our only source for what he originally wrote. The quarto editions are the texts closest to Shakespeare’s time. Some are thought to preserve either his working drafts (his foul papers) or his fair copies. Others are thought to record versions remembered by actors who performed the plays, providing information about staging practices in Shakespeare’s day."
