Publication of Rowe's First Folio of Shakespeare
- When
- 1709–1710
- Where
- London
- Episodes
- 1
Nicholas Rowe published the first modern edition of Shakespeare's works in London between 1709 and 1710. Printed by Jacob Tonson, this seven-volume set was the first to include illustrations and established Rowe as the first editor of Shakespeare, though it relied on the corrupt Fourth Folio.
Episodes
Background and detail
Publication Details. The edition was published in London by Jacob Tonson between 1709 and 1710. It consisted of seven volumes, comprising six volumes of plays and a seventh volume of poems. This publication is recognized as the first modern edition of Shakespeare's works.
Editorial Approach. Rowe is considered the first editor of Shakespeare's works. A notable feature of this edition was that it was the first to be illustrated, with a frontispiece engraving provided for each play. However, the text was based on the corrupt Fourth Folio, a method that influenced later 18th-century editors.
People involved
- Nicholas Rowe · Editor
Sources
- Nicholas Rowe (writer) Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-22
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.