''The Oxford Shakespeare'' is the range of editions of

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's works produced by

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...

. The Oxford Shakespeare is produced under the general editorship of Stanley Wells and Gary Taylor.

Precursor

Oxford University Press first published a complete works of Shakespeare in 1891. Entitled ''The Complete Works'', it was a single-volume modern-spelling edition edited by William James Craig. This 1891 text is not directly related to the series known as the ''Oxford Shakespeare'' today, which is freshly re-edited.

''The Complete Works''

The ''Oxford Shakespeare'' includes a ''Complete Works'' edited by John Jowett, William Montgomery, Gary Taylor and Stanley Wells, appeared in 1986. It includes all of Shakespeare's plays and poems, as well as a biographical introduction. Each work is given a single-page introduction. There are no explanatory notes, but there is a glossary at the back of the book. Two related books accompany the main volume: ''William Shakespeare: A Textual Companion'' provides comprehensive data on editorial choices for scholars of the plays, and ''William Shakespeare: An Old-Spelling Edition'' presents the plays in their original spelling. The Oxford ''Complete Works'' differs from other Shakespeare editions in attempting to present the text as it was first performed, rather than as it was first printed. This resulted in many controversial choices: for example, presenting ''Hamlet'' with several famous speeches relegated to appendices on the grounds that Shakespeare added them after the original performances; presenting two separate texts of ''King Lear'' due to the drastic differences between the two extant texts; and changing the name of Falstaff in '' Henry IV Part One'' to 'Oldcastle' due to historical evidence that this name was used in the first performances even though it never survived to print. The Oxford ''Complete Works'' was the first to emphasize Shakespeare's collaborative work, describing '' Macbeth'', '' Measure for Measure'' and ''

Timon of Athens ''Timon of Athens'' (''The Life of Tymon of Athens'') is a play written by William Shakespeare and probably also Thomas Middleton in about 1606. It was published in the '' First Folio'' in 1623. Timon lavishes his wealth on parasitic companio ...

'' as either collaborations with or revisions by

Thomas Middleton Thomas Middleton (baptised 18 April 1580 – July 1627; also spelt ''Midleton'') was an English Jacobean playwright and poet. He, with John Fletcher and Ben Jonson, was among the most successful and prolific of playwrights at work in the Jac ...

; ''

Pericles Pericles (; grc-gre, Περικλῆς; c. 495 – 429 BC) was a Greek politician and general during the Golden Age of Athens. He was prominent and influential in Athenian politics, particularly between the Greco-Persian Wars and the Pelo ...

'' as a collaboration with

George Wilkins George Wilkins (died 1618) was an English dramatist and pamphleteer best known for his probable collaboration with William Shakespeare on the play ''Pericles, Prince of Tyre''. By profession he was an inn-keeper, but he was also apparently invo ...

; '' Henry VI Part One'' as a collaboration with several unknown other dramatists; and '' Henry VIII'' and ''

The Two Noble Kinsmen ''The Two Noble Kinsmen'' is a Jacobean tragicomedy, first published in 1634 and attributed jointly to John Fletcher and William Shakespeare. Its plot derives from " The Knight's Tale" in Geoffrey Chaucer's '' The Canterbury Tales'', which h ...

'' as collaborations with John Fletcher. It also broke with tradition in presenting Shakespeare's works in chronological order, rather than dividing them by genre. In 2005, a second edition of the ''Complete Works'' was produced. It adds a full text of '' Sir Thomas More'' (edited by John Jowett), which may contain passages by Shakespeare, and '' Edward III'' (edited by William Montgomery), another play believed to be partly by Shakespeare. Somewhat controversially, the 2016 edition credits Christopher Marlowe as an equal co-author of Shakespeare for the three '' Henry VI'' plays, though some scholars doubt any actual collaboration. The first two editions of the Norton Shakespeare, published by

W.W. Norton W. W. Norton & Company is an American publishing company based in New York City. Established in 1923, it has been owned wholly by its employees since the early 1960s. The company is known for its Norton Anthologies (particularly ''The Norton An ...

, were largely based on the Oxford text, but departed from some of its decisions.

Individual plays

The term 'Oxford Shakespeare' also refers to Oxford University Press's editions of individual Shakespeare plays and poems. These individual editions follow the same principles as the ''Complete Works'', but their editors are permitted to reject choices made for the ''Complete Works'' if they feel strongly; for example,

David Bevington David Martin Bevington (May 13, 1931 – August 2, 2019) was an American literary scholar. He was the Phyllis Fay Horton Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus in the Humanities and in English Language & Literature, Comparative Literature, and ...

's edition of ''Henry IV Part One'' uses 'Falstaff' not 'Oldcastle'. The hardback editions feature distinctive purple

dustjacket The dust jacket (sometimes book jacket, dust wrapper or dust cover) of a book is the detachable outer cover, usually made of paper and printed with text and illustrations. This outer cover has folded flaps that hold it to the front and back book ...

s, while the paperbacks follow the design of the

Oxford World's Classics Oxford World's Classics is an imprint of Oxford University Press. First established in 1901 by Grant Richards (publisher), Grant Richards and purchased by OUP in 1906, this imprint publishes primarily dramatic and classic literature for student ...

editions of classic literature. The editions were published as follows: * ''

Henry V Henry V may refer to: People * Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026) * Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125) * Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161) * Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (c. 1173–1227) * Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (1 ...

'' (1982) ed. by Gary Taylor * ''

The Taming of The Shrew ''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken ...

'' (1982) H.J. Oliver * ''

Troilus and Cressida ''Troilus and Cressida'' ( or ) is a play by William Shakespeare, probably written in 1602. At Troy during the Trojan War, Troilus and Cressida begin a love affair. Cressida is forced to leave Troy to join her father in the Greek camp. Meanwh ...

'' (1982) Kenneth Muir * ''

Titus Andronicus ''Titus Andronicus'' is a tragedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written between 1588 and 1593, probably in collaboration with George Peele. It is thought to be Shakespeare's first tragedy and is often seen as his attempt to emul ...

'' (1984) Eugene M. Waith * ''

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, ...

'' (1984) Arthur Humphreys * ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

'' (1987) G. R. Hibbard * '' Henry IV, Part 1'' (1987)

* '' The Tempest'' (1987) Stephen Orgel * ''

'' (1989) Eugene M. Waith * '' King John'' (1989) A.R. Braunmuller * '' Love’s Labour’s Lost'' (1990) G.R. Hibbard * '' Macbeth'' (1990) Nicholas Brooke * '' The Merry Wives of Windsor'' (1990) T.W. Craik * '' Measure for Measure'' (1991) N.W. Bawcutt * '' All's Well That Ends Well'' (1993) Susan Snyder * '' As You Like It'' (1993) Alan Brissenden * ''

Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' ( W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. 1387 The play ...

'' (1993) Sheldon P. Zitner * ''

The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock. Although classified as ...

'' (1993) Jay L. Halio * '' Antony and Cleopatra'' (1994) Michael Neill * ''

Coriolanus ''Coriolanus'' ( or ) is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1605 and 1608. The play is based on the life of the legendary Roman leader Caius Marcius Coriolanus. Shakespeare worked on it during the same yea ...

'' (1994) R.B. Parker * ''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Vi ...

'' (1994) Roger Warren & Stanley Wells * ''

A Midsummer Night’s Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict amon ...

'' (1995) Peter Holland * '' The Winter’s Tale'' (1996) Stephen Orgel * '' Henry IV, Part 2'' (1998) René Weis * ''

Cymbeline ''Cymbeline'' , also known as ''The Tragedie of Cymbeline'' or ''Cymbeline, King of Britain'', is a play by William Shakespeare set in Ancient Britain () and based on legends that formed part of the Matter of Britain concerning the early Celti ...

'' (1998) Roger Warren * '' King Henry VIII, or All is True'' (1999) Jay L. Halio * '' Romeo and Juliet'' (2000) Jill L. Levenson * ''

The History of King Lear ''The History of King Lear'' is an adaptation by Nahum Tate of William Shakespeare's ''King Lear''. It first appeared in 1681, some seventy-five years after Shakespeare's version, and is believed to have replaced Shakespeare's version on the Eng ...

'' (2000) Stanley Wells * '' Richard III'' (2000) John Jowett * ''

Henry VI, Part 3 ''Henry VI, Part 3'' (often written as ''3 Henry VI'') is a history play by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1591 and set during the lifetime of King Henry VI of England. Whereas '' 1 Henry VI'' deals with the loss of Eng ...

'' (2001) Randall Martin * ''The Complete Sonnets and Poems'' (2002) Colin Burrow * ''

Henry VI, Part 2 ''Henry VI, Part 2'' (often written as ''2 Henry VI'') is a Shakespearean history, history play by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1591 and set during the lifetime of King Henry VI of England. Whereas ''Henry VI, Part 1'' ...

'' (2002) Roger Warren * ''

The Comedy of Errors ''The Comedy of Errors'' is one of William Shakespeare's early plays. It is his shortest and one of his most farcical comedies, with a major part of the humour coming from slapstick and mistaken identity, in addition to puns and word play. ...

'' (2002) Charles Whitworth * ''

Henry VI, Part 1 ''Henry VI, Part 1'', often referred to as ''1 Henry VI'', is a history play by William Shakespeare—possibly in collaboration with Christopher Marlowe and Thomas Nashe—believed to have been written in 1591. It is set during the lifetime ...

'' (2003) Michael Taylor * ''

'' (2004) Roger Warren * ''

'' (2004) John Jowett * '' Othello'' (2006) Michael Neill * ''

The Two Gentlemen of Verona ''The Two Gentlemen of Verona'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1589 and 1593. It is considered by some to be Shakespeare's first play, and is often seen as showing his first tentative steps in laying ...

'' (2008) Roger Warren * '' Richard II'' (2011) Anthony B. Dawson & Paul Yachnin With the publication of ''Richard II'' in August 2011, the canonical plays are complete, the only two plays remaining from the one-volume edition being '' Edward III'' and '' Sir Thomas More''.

References

External links

''The Complete Works'', 1st edition, at Bartleby.com''The Complete Works'', 2nd edition, at OUP
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oxford Shakespeare Shakespearean scholarship Oxford University Press books 1891 books 1986 books