The legacy: Shakespeare's "Folio" turns 400
Literature as we know it would be unimaginable without this anthology. William Shakespeare? Probably just one name among many, but not the iconic poet we know the British playwright as. It is no exaggeration to say that "Folio" - the first complete edition of Shakespeare's plays - is one of the most important literary works in history.
"Without the weight of the collected edition - both culturally and literally - few people might be interested in the surviving plays," emphasizes Oxford University Shakespeare scholar Emma Smith.
It is now 400 years since the first edition, the "First Folio", was published, around seven and a half years after the playwright's death in 1616. The original title was: "Mr. William Shakespeare's comedies, histories, & tragedies." (German: Mr. William Shakespeare's comedies, histories and tragedies). Experts date the deadline to this Wednesday (November 8). The United Kingdom has already been paying tribute to the work of its most famous literary figure for months, and King Charles III and his wife Queen Camilla also visited an exhibition.
Remembrance of a "worthy friend"
"A service to the dead" was to be performed by the monumental work, it said on the title, "keeping alive the memory of such a worthy friend and comrade". It was most likely the actors John Heminges and Henry Condell, who worked with Shakespeare, who prepared their companion's works for posterity - and thus revived them in a way.
"Shakespeare changed the way we speak, the words we use, our films, books, catchphrases and memes, the way we think - and yet we know very little about him," says Suzy Klein from the BBC, which is paying tribute to the "Folio" with a multi-part documentary.
Half of Shakespeare's oeuvre - arguably the greatest work of English literature according to the BBC - would probably be lost without the anthology, emphasizes the anniversary website "folio400.com". No "Tempest", no "Macbeth", "Julius Caesar" or "Twelfth Night".
As the original manuscripts have long been lost, some of the most famous dramas would hardly have become known to a wider public. "They would just be names," Adrian Edwards from the British Library told the New York Times Books Podcast. "People have looked at them, people have printed them, but we wouldn't know what text these plays had."
Millions of dollars for one edition
In his day, Shakespeare was an influential, wealthy man who was well known beyond the developing cultural scene. With his acting troupe "Lord Chamberlain's Men", which was then called "King's Men" in honor of King James I, the playwright, who also frequently acted in his own plays, also appeared at court. His works were performed frequently and were popular.
However, it was only with the "Folio" that they became known to a wider public. 36 plays are summarized here. An estimated 750 copies were printed and around 230 are said to still exist, mainly in libraries but also in private ownership. Around three years ago, an edition was sold at auction for just under ten million US dollars.
"Most importantly, (without the "Folio") there would not be the cultural icon we know as 'Shakespeare'," emphasizes researcher Smith. "The surviving works would be scattered across numerous poor early editions and not collected in this imposing and serious volume." Early editions of "Romeo and Juliet" or "Henry V" would not mention Shakespeare as the author and his authorship would not be clear.
In turn, without "First Folio", it would probably not be clear that plays such as "The London Prodigal" or "A Yorkshire Tragedy" were not written by the literary giant - they are not included in the anthology. "Without him, the canon of Shakespeare's plays would have changed significantly," emphasizes Smith.
Star actresses such as Judi Dench, who won an Oscar for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth I in the Hollywood film "Shakespeare in Love", became famous thanks to the Bard's works. "His understanding of everything - of love, of anger, of jealousy, of melancholy - who ever captured it better?" says the 88-year-old in the BBC documentary. "I wish I'd met him, oh, I wish I'd met him." And her colleague Harriet Walter emphasized at a special screening in July: "I can't imagine a world without Shakespeare."
The "Folio" edition, being the first complete collection of William Shakespeare's plays, significantly elevated his status from a mere name among many to the iconic poet we recognize today. Without the inclusion of his works in this comprehensive anthology, half of Shakespeare's oeuvre, including renowned pieces like "The Tempest" and "Macbeth", might have remained unknown to the wider public.
Emma Smith, an Oxford University Shakespeare scholar, highlights the importance of the "Folio" in preserving Shakespeare's legacy, stating, "Most importantly, without the 'Folio', there would not be the cultural icon we know as 'Shakespeare'."
Source: www.dpa.com
