The First Folio

The Plays of William Shakespeare - The First Folio

  • What was the First Folio?

  • Who was involved in its publication?

  • Who were the printers?

  • Who engraved the picture?

  • Who compiled the content?

Picture of the cover on the ' First Folio '
which contained Shakespeare's Plays

 

The First Folio

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE 'FIRST FOLIO'

  • The "First Folio" is of major importance to William Shakespeare as it is the first collected edition of Shakespeare's plays without which there would be no William Shakespeare!

  • Publishers used the ' First Folio ' to print copies of the plays and other Folios were printed in 1632, 1663, 1664 and 1685

WHAT IS A FOLIO?

  • A folio is a Manuscript

  • A Folio is made up of ' quires ' consisting of 6 leafs of paper folded in half with text on both sides giving twelve pages of text

  • The pages are sewn together

WHAT DID THE 'FIRST FOLIO' CONTAIN'?

  • The first Folio contained 36 of William Shakespeare's plays

  • The First Folio consisted of 900 pages

  • It was entitled "Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories & Tragedies". A picture of the cover is shown at the top of the page

WHO COMPILED THE CONTENT FOR THE 'FIRST FOLIO'?

  • Two of William Shakespeare's friends and  fellow actors, John Hemminge and Henry Condell, were the editors of the collection

  • William Shakespeare mentioned both actors in his will "my fellows John Hemynges Richard Burbage & Henry Cundell," leaving them 26s..8d to "buy them Ringes."

  • They, no doubt, had copies of the plays in Quarto text in the format of Fair or Foul copies

  • It was from these copies that the content of the First Folio originated

  • The First Folio was dedicated to two brothers, William and Philip, the sons of the Earl of Pembroke and Mary Sidney Herbert, Countess of Pembroke

WHO PUBLISHED THE 'FIRST FOLIO'?

  • The Printer and Publisher of the 'First Folio' were William Jaggard and his son Isaac with Ed. Blount

  • The 'First Folio' was registered on 8th November 1623.

  • 500 copies of the ' First Folio ' were printed at the price of £1 for each copy - approximately 238 known copies have survived

  • Publishers used the ' First Folio ' to print copies of the plays and other Folios were printed in 1632, 1663, 1664 and 1685

THE PICTURE OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE ON THE 'FIRST FOLIO'

  • The picture which appears on the First Folio is produced from a copper engraving of a likeness of Shakespeare

  • It must be remembered that during William Shakespeare's era that only engravings were used to illustrate such documents, it was not possible to reproduce paintings of portraits

  • The engraver of this famous image of Shakespeare was called Martin Droeshout (1601 - 1651)

  • It is a very odd image! For those who like a mystery and more information about the engraver click the following link Droeshout Engraving

The First Folio

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