Preface to the First Folio Edition of Shakespeare's Plays - Classic Text | Alexandria
Preface to the First Folio Edition of Shakespeare's Plays (1623), written by John Heminge and Henry Condell, stands as one of the most significant literary documents in English publishing history, serving as the gateway to the first collected edition of William Shakespeare's dramatic works. This dedicatory text, addressed "To the Great Variety of Readers," represents both a commercial advertisement and a crucial testimony to Shakespeare's legacy from two of his fellow actors and business partners in the King's Men theater company.
The Preface emerged during a pivotal moment in English literary culture, when the printing of plays was transitioning from questionable commercial venture to respected literary enterprise. Heminge and Condell, who had worked alongside Shakespeare for decades, positioned themselves as the guardians of his authentic texts, explicitly distinguishing their authorized collection from what they termed "diverse stolen and surreptitious copies, maimed and deformed by the frauds and stealths of injurious impostors." Their editorial claims, while partly motivated by marketing concerns, provide invaluable insights into early modern publishing practices and the contemporary valuation of Shakespeare's works.
The document's significance extends beyond its immediate commercial purpose, offering rare firsthand testimony about Shakespeare's working methods. Heminge and Condell's famous assertion that Shakespeare's papers contained "scarce a blot" in them has sparked centuries of debate about the playwright's composition process. Their characterization of Shakespeare as a natural genius whose words flowed effortlessly onto the page helped establish the enduring myth of Shakespeare as an untutored genius, though modern scholarship suggests a more complex reality.
The Preface's legacy continues to influence Shakespeare studies and publishing history. Its assertions about textual authority and authenticity remain central to ongoing debates about Shakespeare's canon and the reliability of various early printed versions of his plays. Modern scholars particularly value the document for its unique perspective on Shakespeare's professional relationships and the theatrical world of early modern London, while its elegant prose and passionate defense of Shakespeare's works continue to resonate with readers today, reminding us of the human connections behind one of literature's most monumental publishing achievements.