November 1623 saw the publication of the first printed edition of 36 of Shakespeare’s works, which is often referred to as the First Folio. 400 years later those works continue to inspire readers around the world.
Our Folio Matters series of videos delve into key manuscript issues that pose a challenge to editing Shakespeare's works in the 21st century. From inconsistent naming in Twelfth Night and Henry VI Part 1 to intriguing stage directions in Love's Labour's Lost and Twelfth Night, eight of our Arden Shakespeare Fourth Series Volume Editors unpack the textual variants that take you to the heart of what it means to edit Shakespeare's works today — and why it continues to matter.
Watch the introductory video to get a taste of all the plays explored, and then delve issues in the different plays in the other videos.
How do race, gender and queerness intersect with textual editing? What kind of editorial decisions add or change meaning to words and phrases?
In November 2023 we held an online panel discussion on this topic. Arden Shakespeare Fourth Series General Editors Peter Holland and Tiffany Stern, Volume Editors Patricia Akhimie and Urvashi Chakravarty, and Arden Advisory Fellow Robert Stagg explored the complex and exciting challenges of editing Shakespeare’s texts for the next generation of readers and performers. Watch this fascinating discussion now!
