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William Shakespeare in quarto homepage The basics about Shakespeare and the quartos Background on Shakespeare's life and works The afterlife - how Shakespeare's plays have changed Compare the texts Expert views on selected Shakespeare works References on Shakespeare Links to Shakespeare related sites Glossary Partners

See 107 copies of the 21 plays by Shakespeare printed in quarto before the 1642 theatre closures

Background information on Shakespeare's life and works

Background information
Find out about William Shakespeare, his works, his theatre world and the printing of his plays.
For more, see Links and References. You can also view a Timeline.
 
 
Partners

Partners

  
 

See our new partners and new quartos
 
 

 
The afterlife - how Shakespeare's play have changed

The afterlife

See how Shakespeare's plays have changed in print and in performance, from the re-opening of the theatres in 1660.

Read about David Tennant's acclaimed Hamlet for the RSC on the BBC website
 
The texts

The texts

View and compare 107 quartos, two at a time, side by side.
 
 

 
  See other treasures in full OTHER TREASURES IN FULL
You will find this site useful if you are interested in:

Elizabethan and Jacobean England
English drama
The history of books and reading
The history of printing and publishing
The life of William Shakespeare
The works of William Shakespeare
Theatre history

New to the Quartos?

Or want to refresh your knowledge? We have a Basics section to get you up to speed.
Discovering Literature: Shakespeare
Shakespeare Quartos Archive
Visit Shakespeare Quartos Archive
Did You Know?

Did you know?

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