The First Quarto of Romeo and Juliet

Two different versions of Romeo and Juliet were published during Shakespeare’s lifetime: the second quarto of 1599, on which modern editions are usually based, and the first quarto of 1597. The latter version was long denigrated as a ‘bad’ quarto’, but recent scholarship sees in it a crucial witness for the theatrical practices of Shakespeare and his company. The shorter of the two versions by about one quarter, the first quarto has high-paced action, fuller stage directions than the second quarto, and fascinating alternatives to the famous speeches in the longer version. The introduction to this edition provides a full discussion of the origins of the first quarto, before analysing its distinguishing features and presenting a concise history of the 1597 version. The text is provided with a full collation and commentary which alert the reader to crucial differences between the first and the second quartos.

• Includes a detailed introduction with discussion of the first quarto’s origins, history and distinctive features • The fullest edition available of the first quarto of Romeo and Juliet • Throws new light on the importance of this long-neglected early version of Shakespeare’s famous play

Preface; Abbreviations and conventions; Introduction: 1. Textual provenance: A century of ‘bad quartos’; Past thinking about Q1 Romeo and Juliet; The early draft / revision theory; Memorial reporters?; Stage abridgement, not memorial reconstruction?; Evidence of memorial agency; Alternatives to the traditional narrative; A version for the provinces?; Theatrical abridgement; Textual provenance: conclusion; 2. Dramatic specificities: Pace and action; Stage directions; The betrothal scene; Characterization; Inconsistent time references; 3. Publication and printing: The First Quarto in 1597; The First Quarto after 1597; Note on the text; List of characters; THE PLAY; Textual notes; Appendix A. Scene division; Appendix B. Casting and doubling; Appendix C. Bel-védere (1600); Appendix D. Q1 in eighteenth-century editions of Romeo and Juliet; Bibliography.