Shakespeare buffs, lend me your expertise.

[raccoon]

I read an article once about how scholars have had to sort of re-create what they think the Bard said, since quartos and folios can vary so much. They used an example from one of Hamlets speeches.

But I cannot find it now. Anyone know?

[mahatmakanejeeves]

1. It ringeth a bell, but, forsooth, I findeth it not in a quick search. NT

[Aristus]

2. The general consensus among scholars is that we may never know exactly if what we have is

what Shakespeare wrote.

The First Folio and its descendants have the best claim, since the texts of the plays were approved by people who knew him, had been in the King's Men company, and who had played in, or at least seen, the original plays.

The 'bad' quartos are called that because they often deviate wildly from the 'good' quartos and the Folio, hinting that they may have been scribbled down by a spy in the Globe's audience trying to steal the plays of the King's Men. It is agreed that these spies probably had very bad memories and little talent for reproducing what they heard into Shakespeare's known theatrical style.

The First Folio is far from a perfect record of his plays, with pages left out, misnumbered, etc. But its the best we can get until either original manuscripts or prompt-books are unearthed, which is very unlikely at this point, or we invent time-travel.

[First Speaker]

3. Try "The Shakespeare Wars", by Ron Rosenbaum...

...that has all sorts of stuff in it about textual issues, as well as a lot of other really fascinating stuff. Rosenbaum is one of our great writers, and if you're interested in Shakespeare at all, this book os a feast.

[Major Nikon]

4. "A turd by any other name still smells like shit"

Was an obscure Shakespeare quote that was altered pre-production.

[raccoon]

5. Maybe it was in the same play with "Woe to the land that's governed by a dotard." nt