The Quarto text of Henry V is of unique importance. It is the first and probably the only text of a Shakespeare play which provides the playscript corresponding to the version that was actually performed by Shakespeare's own company. It has the authority of being transcribed by actors in the company as a record of their original staging at the Globe in 1599. The quarto version differs radically from the First Folio text which is used as the source for all other editions. Half as long as the Folio, it represents a practical staging text that streamlined the script supplied by Shakespeare. This new edition of the Henry V quarto provides a modernised text alongside the most extensive commentary to date. Andrew Gurr examines each variant from the Folio text in detail, shedding new light on what happened to scripts that the Shakespeare company bought from their resident playwright.
Reviews
"Gurr's contentions will ignite interest among all serious readers of Shakespeare and may detonate a barrage of scholarly responses. Highly recommended for upper-division undergraduates through faculty and for professional collections." Choice "The sixth release in Cambridge's useful books on the early quartos, this volume prompts fresh regard for what the quartos have to tell. Gurr's content will ignite interest among all serious readers of Shakespeare and may detonate a barrage of scholarly responses. Highly recommended for upper-division undergraduates through faculty and for professional collections." Choice
