Person
Every book Adrian Edwards recommended on podcasts
Adrian Edwards appeared on The Book Review to discuss the profound historical importance and complex textual origins of William Shakespeare's First Folio. As an expert focused on historical manuscripts and early modern printing, Edwards examined how various plays were compiled, typeset, and preserved. He explained that for works like Much Ado About Nothing, earlier quarto editions were occasionally utilized and lightly edited. Discussing the varied sources behind the collection, he noted that lost theatrical prompt books appear to have been used for Julius Caesar, while Antony and Cleopatra offers a fascinating suggestion of having been typeset directly from one of Shakespeares own handwritten drafts. Furthermore, Edwards emphasized the immense literary debt owed to the First Folio, pointing out that without this monumental publication, multiple plays with entirely lost manuscript versions would have vanished completely. Among the texts he explicitly listed as dependent on the First Folio for their survival are The Tempest, Twelfth Night, The Winters Tale, Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra, and Macbeth, cementing the volume's crucial role in preserving the enduring legacy of Elizabethan and Jacobean drama for future generations of readers and scholars alike.
Books recommended by Adrian Edwards
-
Antony and Cleopatra
Discussed“there's a suggestion that maybe the Anthony and CLE plra was types set for one of Shakespeare's own drafts perhaps”
Where to get it
-
Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare is a classic historical tragedy that dramatizes the conspiracy against the Roman dictator, his assassination, and the resulting chaotic fallout.
Discussed“there are theatrical prompt books now lost for plays like Julia Caesar that seem to being being used”
Where to get it
-
Macbeth
Macbeth by William Shakespeare is a classic tragedy exploring unchecked ambition, guilt, and the corrupting nature of political power.
Discussed“well if we didn't have the first folio given that all the manuscript versions of the place are lost we wouldn't have Place such as the Tempest or 12th night or a Winter's Tale or Julius cesa or anti Cleopatra or MC Beth”
Where to get it
-
Much Ado About Nothing
Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare is a celebrated romantic comedy that explores themes of deception, honor, mistaken identity, and love through the sharp wit of its central characters.
Discussed“so that would be true of a play like much ad do about nothing”
Where to get it
-
Pericles
Discussed“certainly an obvious one that's missing is paricles and two two Noble Kinsmen”
Where to get it
-
Tempest
William Shakespeare's late romance play weaves together themes of illusion, forgiveness, magic, and colonialism on a remote and mysterious island.
Discussed“well if we didn't have the first folio given that all the manuscript versions of the place are lost we wouldn't have Place such as the Tempest or 12th night or a Winter's Tale or Julius cesa or anti Cleopatra or MC Beth”
Where to get it
-
The Canterbury Tales
The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer in the late 14th century, detailing a diverse group of pilgrims traveling to Canterbury.
Discussed“he had the canterberry tales the first edition as well”
Where to get it
-
The Two Noble Kinsmen
Discussed“certainly an obvious one that's missing is paricles and two two Noble Kinsmen”
Where to get it
-
The Winter's Tale
Discussed“well if we didn't have the first folio given that all the manuscript versions of the place are lost we wouldn't have Place such as the Tempest or 12th night or a Winter's Tale or Julius cesa or anti Cleopatra or MC Beth”
Where to get it
-
Twelfth Night
Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare is a classic romantic comedy exploring mistaken identity, love, and gender confusion in the fictional kingdom of Illyria.
Discussed“well if we didn't have the first folio given that all the manuscript versions of the place are lost we wouldn't have Place such as the Tempest or 12th night or a Winter's Tale or Julius cesa or anti Cleopatra or MC Beth”
Where to get it
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Why is Shakespeare's First Folio So Important? | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 15 |