A Narrative of Revision Documents of Performance and the Theatrical Abridgment Theory in Romeo and Juliet
Citation:
Thomas Roberts, 'A Narrative of Revision Documents of Performance and the Theatrical Abridgment Theory in Romeo and Juliet', Graduate Students’ Union of the University of Dublin, Trinity College, Journal of Postgraduate Research;, 2015Download Item:
Abstract:
One question lies at the heart of Shakespeare editorial studies: if multiple versions
of a play were printed within his lifetime, how can we know what best represents
Shakespeare’s true vision? This concern is particularly contentious with Romeo and
Juliet. A wealth of evidence suggests that the traditionally condemned first “bad
quarto” of the play (Q1) was in fact an abridgment for the stage, adapted from the
second “good quarto” (Q2).
Yet, the theatrical abridgment theory has struggled to gain universal acceptance and
the term “bad quarto” remains a popular classification. This is due to the difficulty in
identifying Shakespeare’s hand in revision; early modern theatre was collaborative
in nature and extant playbooks represent not only the playwright’s artistry but the
accumulation of entire industries of production and printing.
By engaging with recent scholarship on the presence of theatrical documentation
in early plays, this essay will identify the narrative of abridgment from Q2 to Q1.
The revisions in four of the play’s theatrical elements will be analysed within this
scholarly context: the extirpation of unessential lines, the careful construction of
stage directions, the formulation of locales, and attempts to control the unpredictable
extemporising of the company’s resident clown William Kemp
Author: Roberts, Thomas
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Graduate Students’ Union of the University of Dublin, Trinity CollegeType of material:
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Journal of Postgraduate Research;Availability:
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2009-4787Metadata
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