I am an english major trying to start a collection of my favorite Shakespeare plays. I want to get each play individually, not in one big book. Can anyone recommend a series which is well annoted? So far the three editions that I am considering are Folger, Arden, or Oxford. If anyone has any advice or experience about which edition is best, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you :-)
2006-12-28 04:37:26 · 6 answers · asked by me 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
It really depends on what you're looking for. As far as the plays' actual text goes, either the Oxford or the Arden. The main difference is in the supplementary materials.
I recommend the Arden if you are really into textual analysis, cross-referencing within and between plays, etymology and heavy-duty study. It also has massive introductory essays, etc. I consider this more of a reference edition as the amount of notes take over sometimes 2/3 of the page and make the play not very readable.
I recommend the Oxford if you are looking for more thematic and historical notes that will help you better understand the words and perhaps outdated social cues in the text.
The Folger is okay, but I think it is geared more to the average high school student. Each set of facing pages has a page of notes on one side and the text on the other. This edition includes scene synopses at the beginning of each scene, thorough (sometimes "duh!") notes and sometimes illustrations to better explain the note. On the whole, I do not think the Folger text is as reliable as the Arden or Oxford, but probably not irreliable enough to make a huge difference to most readers. The Folger editions are mass market paperbacks which make them cheap, but not very sturdy. You may pay almost twice as much per play, but the Arden and Oxfords will hold up three times as long.
My first go-to is the Norton Shakespeare, which is all of the Oxford editions (with supplements) in one collection. When I have deeper questions, then I go to an Arden. I'll use the Folger in a pinch.
Good Luck.
2006-12-29 01:16:35 · answer #1 · answered by Teflonn 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Best Shakespeare Editions
2016-11-02 00:04:08 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This Site Might Help You.
RE:
Best edition of Shakespeare?
I am an english major trying to start a collection of my favorite Shakespeare plays. I want to get each play individually, not in one big book. Can anyone recommend a series which is well annoted? So far the three editions that I am considering are Folger, Arden, or Oxford. If anyone has any advice...
2015-08-06 17:51:59 · answer #3 · answered by Glynis 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I vote for the Oxford series edited by Stanley Wells, with Gary Taylor, John Jowett, and William Montgomery.
Wells was one of my professors at the Shakespeare Institute & Bill Montgomery was one of my peers.
2006-12-28 05:53:05 · answer #4 · answered by jcboyle 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Royal shakespeare company has an edition that has become my favorite, you should check it out, scene by scene analysis, performance history, great notes, portable, ect. The Best Edition i have found yet
2014-02-06 09:15:44 · answer #5 · answered by levi gore 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
edition shakespeare
2016-01-26 06:33:28 · answer #6 · answered by Wanda 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i love shakespear he is an awsome writer plus has made great poems and plays theres a whole seris of king richred books by shakespear iv never read them iv read romeo and juliet which was my all time favorit. aeschylus is a series iv read them they are awsome my point of view also Persians
Seven Against Thebes
Suppliant Maidens
Agamemnon
Libation Bearers
Eumenides
Prometheus Bound
Sophocles --
Oedipus Rex
Oedipus at Colonus
Antigone
Ajax
Electra
Trachiniae
Philoctetes
Euripides --
Rhesus
Alcestis
Medea
Heracleidae
Hippolytus
Andromache
Hecuba
Suppliants
Heracles
Electra
Trojan Women
Ion
Iphigenia Among the Taurians
Helen
Phoenician Maidens
Bacchae
Iphigenia at Aulis
Orestes
Cyclops
Herodotus --
History
Thucydides --
Peloponnesian War
Hippocrates --
Oath
Ancient Medicine
Airs, Waters, and Places
Prognostics
Regimen in Acute Diseases
Epidemics
Injuries of the Head
Surgery
Fractures
Articulations
Instruments of Reduction
Aphorisms
Law
Ulcers
Fistulae
Hemorrhoids
Sacred Disease
Aristophanes --
Acharnians
Knights
Clouds
Wasps
Peace
Birds
Lysistrata
Thesmophoriazusae
Frogs
Ecclesiazusae
Plutus
Plato --
Charmides
Lysis
Laches
Protagoras
Euthydemus
Cratylus
Phaedrus
Ion
Symposium
Meno
Euthyphro
Apology
Crito
Phaedo
Gorgias
Republic
Timaeus
Critias
Parmenides
Theaetetus
Sophist
Statesman
Philebus
Laws
Seventh Letter
Aristotle --
Categories
Interpretation
Prior Analytics
Posterior Analytics
Topics
Sophistical Refutations
Physics
Heavens
Generation and Corruption
Meteorology
Metaphysics
Soul
Sense and Sensible
Memory and Reminiscence
Sleep and Sleeplessness
Dreams
Prophesying by Dreams
Longevity and Shortness of Life
On Youth and Old Age, On Life and Death, On Breathing
History of Animals
Parts of Animals
Motion of Animals
Gait of Animals
Nicomachean Ethics
Politics
Athenian Constitution
Rhetoric
Poetics
Euclid --
Elements
Archimedes --
Apollonius --
Lucretius --
Nature of Things
Virgil --
Eclogues
Georgics
Aeneid
Tacitus --
Annals
Histories
Epictetus --
Discourses
Golden Sayings
Nicomachus --
Plutarch --
Theseus
Romulus
Romulus and Theseus
Lycurgus
Numa Pompilius
Lycurgus and Numa
Solon
Poplicola
Poplicola and Solon
Themistocles
Camillus
Pericles
Fabius
Fabius and Pericles
Alcibiades
Coriolanus
Alcibiades and Coriolanus
Timoleon
Aemilius Paulus
Aemilius Paulus and Timoleon
Pelopidas
Marcellus
Marcellus and Pelopidas
Aristides
Marcus Cato
Philopoeman
Flamininus
Flamininus and Philopoeman
Pyrrhus
Caius Marius
Lysander
Sulla
Lysander and Sulla
Cimon
Lucullus
Cimon and Lucullus
Nicias
Crassus
Crassus and Nicias
Sertorius
Eumenus
Eumenus and Sertorius
Agesilaus
Pompey
Agesilaus and Pompey
Alexaner
Caesar
Phocion
Cato the Younger
Agis
Cleomenes
Tiberius Gracchus
Caius Gracchus
Caius and Tiberius Gracchus and Agis and Cleomenes
Demosthenes
Cicero
Cicero and Demosthenes
Demetrius
Antony
Antony and Demetrius
Dion
Marcus Brutus
Brutus and Dion
Aratus
Artaxerxes
Galba
Otho
Parallel Lives
oh and there are two other books there called dreams, and sleep and sleepness those are really good books im on my daughters account but im 32 and iv read most of them still trying toi finish most books. good luck my friend hope this helps.i remeber how it was trust me but in college i passed every class so goodluck. my opinion folger and arden are really good like i said still working on finishing serise
2006-12-28 05:05:08 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
i love the riverside, it does have all the plays in it, and it is annoted it is big, but the notes are very good. i used it in my shakespear class.
2006-12-28 04:41:06 · answer #8 · answered by NNY 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This makes two votes for Riverside!
2006-12-28 04:55:35 · answer #9 · answered by Claire 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
oxford!
my fave english teacher taught from this
i have this version
2006-12-28 17:29:12 · answer #10 · answered by allykat87 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋