William Shakespeare, one of the most celebrated and influential writers in history, produced a vast body of work that has endured for centuries. His plays, sonnets, and poems have been translated into numerous languages, studied by scholars worldwide, and performed on countless stages. Despite the immense cultural significance of his work, the whereabouts of Shakespeare’s original writings remain a subject of intrigue and speculation. This article delves into the history of Shakespeare’s works, the challenges in locating the original manuscripts, and the current state of his surviving writings.
The Legacy of Shakespeare’s Works
Shakespeare’s influence on English literature and drama is unparalleled. Born in 1564, he wrote a total of 39 plays, 154 sonnets, and a variety of other poems. His works are considered a cornerstone of Western literature, touching on themes of love, politics, ambition, betrayal, and the human condition. However, despite their immense impact, the original manuscripts of most of his works have been lost to time.
One of the main reasons for the absence of Shakespeare’s original writings is the nature of publishing and copying in the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras. At that time, works were often handwritten, copied by scribes, and frequently performed rather than published. Many of Shakespeare’s plays were performed for private patrons or in public theaters without being officially published or preserved. As a result, the original texts often only existed as manuscripts or in the form of printed quartos, which were affordable, small-scale printings of the plays. These printed editions were frequently edited for length or content, leading to further complications when trying to determine the “authentic” text of a play.
The Challenges in Locating Shakespeare’s Original Writings
Several factors have contributed to the disappearance of Shakespeare’s original works, making the search for them a difficult and ongoing process.
The Transience of Paper: During Shakespeare’s time, paper was a fragile material. Manuscripts, especially those that were frequently used for performances, would often deteriorate over time due to age, mishandling, and exposure to environmental conditions. This makes it difficult for any surviving manuscripts from the 16th or 17th century to have remained in good condition.
The Role of Actors and Performances: Shakespeare’s plays were often performed live and were primarily a form of entertainment rather than a literary product to be preserved. As the plays were transcribed for performances, actors and scribes would often make alterations, reducing the likelihood of any consistent or reliable copies being made.
Loss Through Time: Many documents from the 16th and 17th centuries have been lost due to war, fire, or natural disasters. Libraries and archives housing important collections of works could have burned down or been otherwise destroyed. The original writings of many other authors from the same period are similarly missing, and Shakespeare is no exception.
Lack of Formal Copyright: In Shakespeare’s era, the concept of copyright as we understand it today did not exist. Authors had little control over the reproduction of their works. This meant that plays would be reproduced in various forms, often with the original manuscripts lost along the way. Shakespeare’s works were often printed without his direct involvement or consent, making it harder to track down the original texts.
Surviving Shakespearean Manuscripts
Despite the challenges, some of Shakespeare’s works have survived, albeit in various forms. These include quartos, folios, and other printed versions of his plays, some of which may have been close to the original text.
The First Folio: The most famous and important surviving collection of Shakespeare’s works is the “First Folio,” published in 1623, seven years after Shakespeare’s death. The First Folio contains 36 of Shakespeare’s plays, including many that were not previously printed. Although it is not a manuscript written by Shakespeare himself, the First Folio is considered the most authoritative collection of his plays. It was compiled by Shakespeare’s friends and fellow actors John Heminges and Henry Condell, who sought to preserve Shakespeare’s legacy after his death. The First Folio is invaluable because it has helped scholars reconstruct many plays that might otherwise have been lost to history.
Quartos: Before the First Folio, Shakespeare’s plays were sometimes published as “quartos.” These small, cheap editions of plays were often printed while Shakespeare was still alive, but the texts were sometimes incomplete or altered. Some of Shakespeare’s most famous plays, like “Hamlet” and “King Lear,” exist in multiple quarto versions, with the texts differing between versions. While these quartos are not the original manuscripts, they represent an important piece of Shakespeare’s legacy. They offer insight into the ways his plays were edited, performed, and circulated during his lifetime.
The Manuscripts of His Sonnets: Shakespeare’s sonnets, published in 1609, are among his most famous works. While we do not have Shakespeare’s original manuscript of the sonnets, the printed edition provides important clues about their creation and circulation. The sonnets were likely written over several years and were likely not intended for publication when they were first penned. It is unclear whether Shakespeare ever saw the sonnets in their printed form, as no manuscript of the complete collection has survived.
Speculations on Lost Works
While we have some surviving records of Shakespeare’s work, it is widely believed that many original manuscripts have been lost. This is due to the fact that, as previously mentioned, Shakespeare’s works were primarily written for performance rather than publication. Some speculations suggest that there may be lost plays or earlier drafts of plays that were never published or were written out in a private manuscript, only to be lost to time.
Additionally, various theories abound regarding the true authorship of Shakespeare’s works. Some people have questioned whether Shakespeare himself authored all the works attributed to him, speculating that they may have been written by other writers, such as the Earl of Oxford or Sir Francis Bacon. While these theories have been largely debunked by the scholarly community, they add an element of mystery to the question of Shakespeare’s writings.
Where Could Shakespeare’s Original Writings Be?
Though most of Shakespeare’s original manuscripts are lost, various institutions and individuals have made significant efforts to preserve and study what remains of his works. Libraries, archives, and museums around the world house important documents and editions of Shakespeare’s writings.
The British Library: The British Library in London is home to several early editions of Shakespeare’s works, including a First Folio. It is one of the most important repositories for Shakespearean texts and serves as a center for scholarly research on his life and works.
The Folger Shakespeare Library: Located in Washington, D.C., the Folger Shakespeare Library is a major repository of Shakespeare-related texts, including one of the largest collections of First Folios in the world. It also holds numerous early quartos and other important Shakespearean manuscripts.
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust: In Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of Shakespeare, the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust holds a collection of documents related to his life and works. While the Trust does not possess original manuscripts, it houses important records and early printed editions of Shakespeare’s plays.
Other Institutions: Several other libraries, including the Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford and the Huntington Library in California, hold valuable Shakespearean texts. These collections are crucial for scholars seeking to understand Shakespeare’s works and their impact on literature and theater.
The Search for Shakespeare’s Missing Works
Scholars continue to search for lost works, and modern technology has provided new tools for analyzing old texts. For example, digital archives now make it easier for researchers to analyze various editions of Shakespeare’s plays and explore previously unexamined variations. Some believe that, with new technological advances in textual analysis, it may be possible to recover lost fragments or identify unknown versions of Shakespeare’s works.
Additionally, archaeological discoveries occasionally provide tantalizing clues about Shakespeare’s life and work. As more is learned about the historical context in which Shakespeare wrote, it may become possible to uncover previously hidden sources of his writings or documents related to his career. However, the discovery of an original manuscript would be a rare and momentous event.
Conclusion
The question of where Shakespeare’s original writings are remains an elusive one. While we do not have the original manuscripts of most of his works, the surviving editions, such as the First Folio and various quartos, allow us to study his plays and poems in detail. The loss of many of Shakespeare’s original manuscripts is a testament to the passage of time, the fragility of paper, and the nature of literary production in the Elizabethan era.
The legacy of Shakespeare’s writings is not solely dependent on the preservation of his original manuscripts, however. His works have endured through the centuries due to their universal themes, their exploration of human nature, and their remarkable language. Shakespeare’s plays continue to be performed, studied, and reimagined in countless ways, ensuring that his voice lives on, even in the absence of his original writings. The search for his lost works may continue, but the works that have survived are more than enough to cement his place as one of the greatest writers in history.
