Richard III (1927) Yale/Appendix C
APPENDIX C
The Text of the Present Edition
The text of the present volume is based, by permission of the Oxford University Press, upon that of the Oxford Shakespeare, edited by the late W. J. Craig. Craig's text has been carefully collated with the Quarto of 1597, and with the first Folio of 1623.[1] The textual difficulties in Richard III are numerous. The variations between the Quarto of 1597 and the Folio text are striking. Craig inclined to lean upon the authority of the Quarto; the present editor has relied mainly upon the Folio, since the trend of recent editors has been toward a return to this text.
The Folio contains nearly two hundred lines not found in the Quarto, together with many minor changes of words and additions of several short lines and parts of lines. The longer passages of the Folio are not questioned, even by advocates of the Quarto text, as un-Shakespearean. Further, the stage directions of the Folio are more complete and detailed. Apart, therefore, from obvious errors of the press to be found in the Folio, its major variations are admittedly of Shakespearean origin.
There are, however, in the Quarto some lines which do not occur in the Folio, though they are considerably less in number than the additions of the later text. In the second scene of the fourth act, for example, there is a passage, found only in the Quarto, which is dramatically essential. All such lines and passages belonging exclusively to the Quarto have been included within square brackets. Difficulties resulting from obvious errors of the press in the Folio text have been mentioned in the notes.[2]
The following deviations from Craig's text have been introduced:
1. The stage directions of the Folio have been restored. Necessary words and directions, omitted by the Folio, are added within square brackets.
2. Passages occurring in the Quarto but not in the Folio have been placed within square brackets.
3. Spelling has been normalized to accord with modern English practice: e.g. 'villainy.' The punctuation also has been standardized.
4. A few words such as 'murther,' 'burthen,' 'Britaine,' have been left in their original form.
5. The following changes of text have been introduced, usually in accordance with Folio authority. The readings of the present edition precede the colon, while Craig's readings follow it.
I. i. 52 but F: for
65 tempts him to this harsh extremity F: tempers him to this extremity
75 was for delivery? F: was to her for his delivery?
88 and F: an
103 do beseech F: beseech
133 play F: prey
138 John F: Paul
that F: this
142 Where is he, F: What, is he
ii. 19 wolves, to F: adders
31 this F: the
39 stand'st F: stand
76 crimes F: evils
78 of F: of a
79 Of F: For
86 shalt F: shoulds't
88 That F: Which
106 better F: fitter
108 holp F: help'd
117 something F: somewhat
125 I might F: might I
127 rent F: rend
178 naked F: open
213 house F: place
235 my F: her
237 I no friends F: nothing I
243 Tewkesbury F: Tewsbury
252 halts F: halt
iii. 12 unto F: into
41 height F: highest
43 is it . . . complains F: are they . . . complain
47 look F: speak
58 grace F: person
68 thereby he may learn F: that thereby he may gather
77 I F: we
97 desert F: deserts
101 bachelor, and F: bachelor
115 avouch 't F: avouch
118 do remember F: remember
125 spent F: spilt
132 this F: now
147 sov'reign F: lawful
155 A F: As
200 our F: my
that F: which
204 death F: lose
231 heavy mother's F: mother's heavy
304 an F: on
321 yours, my gracious F: you my noble
333 Dorset F: Vaughan
336 villainy F: villany
iv. 3 fearful dream, of ugly sights F: ugly sights, of ghastly dreams
9 Methoughts F: Methought
13 there F: thence
21 O Lord, F: Lord, Lord!
35 these F: those
41 Who F: Which
46 sour F: grim
50 spake F: cried
52 wand'ring F: wandering
57 him, Furies: F: him! Furies,
66 Ah, Keeper, Keeper! F: O Brakenbury
73 Keeper, I prythee sit by me a while; F: I pray thee, gentle keeper, stay by me;
82 naine F: names
86 Second F: First
89 First F: Sec.
94 from F: of
96 king, F: king
104–105 Why, he shall never wake until the great judgment day. F: When he wakes! why, fool, he shall never wake till the judgment day.
112 warrant, F: warrant for it;
121 this passionate humour of mine F: my holy humour
129 Come, F: 'Zounds!
132 Oh, in F: In
133 When F: So when
142 shamefac'd F: shamefast
144 a man F: one
145 that, by chance, F: that
146 of F: of all
150 'Tis F: 'Zounds! It is
155 I F: Tut, I
157 thy F: his
158 fall to work? F: to this gear?
160 on F: over
163 and make F: make
170 Sec. F: First
181 Sec. F: Both
190 drawn F: call'd
among F: from out
198 for any goodness F: to have redemption
204 vassals F: vassal
233 faults F: fault
243 First F: Both
252 Come, you deceive yourself F: Thou deceiv'st thyself
260 Have you F: Hast thou
your F: thy
souls F: soul
263 are you F: art thou
your F: thy
souls F: soul
you will F: thou wilt
264 they F: he
II. i. 5 to F: in
18 is F: are
from F: in
39 heaven F: God
45 Sir Richard Ratcliff and the duke F: the noble duke
56 unwillingly F: unwittingly
58 To F: By
66 Of you, and you, Lord Rivers, and of Dorset F: Of you, Lord Rivers, and Lord Grey, of you
ii. 8 both F: much
12 Then you conclude, my grandam F: Then, grandam, you conclude
26 a F: his
28 visor F: vizard
41 when the root is gone F: now the root is wither'd
46 ne'er-changing night F: perpetual rest
58 hands F: limbs
60 moan F: grief
61 woes F: plaints
103 help our F: cure their
107 breast F: mind
117 hates F: hearts
121 fet F: fetch'd
143 sister F: mother
iii. 13 Which F: That
43 Pursuing F: Ensuing
iv. 9 good F: young
53 blood F: death
65 earth F: death
III. i. 87 his F: this
91 And F: An
96 noble F: loving
97 dear F: dread
123 as, as F: as
141 will F: needs will
143 should F: would
148 And F: An
167 will not F: what will
190 house F: place
ii. 11 rased F: razed
12 kept F: held
17 toward F: towards
25 without F: wanting
26 simple F: fond
83 states were F: state was
98 thou met'st me F: I met thee
106 I thank your honour F: God save your lordship
117 cannot stay there F: shall not stay
iii. 6 hereafter! hereafter
24 embrace. F: embrace:
25 Farewell until we meet again F: And take our leave until we meet
iv. 1 Now noble peers F: My lords, at once
4 the F: that
18 honourable F: noble
52 love or hate F: hate or love
73 deed F: thing
82 our helms F: his helm
83 disdain F: disdain'd
85 started F: startled
96 men F; man
v. 31 suspects F: suspect
49–50 Two lines added to Buckingham F: to Mayor's speech
54 meanings have F: meaning hath
57 treasons F: treason
65 case F: cause
68 Which F: But
105 go F: in
vi. 7 desire F: desires
vii. 7 desire F: desires
21 bid F: bade
25 statues F: statuas
29 us'd F: wont
62 suits F: suit
71 love-bed F: day-bed
79 sure F: sore
96 ornaments F: ornament
124 The F: This
his F: her
125 His F: Her
126 His F: Her
182 off F: by
203 this care F: those cares
213 know whe'r F: whether
219 him F: them
222 stones F: stone
223 entreaties F: entreats
IV. i. 8 farther F: further
36 thy F: the
60 brains F: brain
89 Dor. F: Q. Eliz.
97 Stay, yet F: Stay yet,
ii. 13 lord F: liege
44 me, untir'd F: me untir'd
83 request F: demand
116 May it please you to resolve me in my suit? F': Why, then resolve me whe'r you will, or no
iii. 5 ruthful F: ruthless
7 Melted F: Melting
13 And F: Which
15 one F: once
30 where, to say the truth, F: how or in what place
31 soon, and F: soon at
39 this F: the
40 Britaine F: Breton
41 husband F: Henry
43 S. d. Ratcliff F: Catesby
iv. 34 we F: I
52–53 53 (52) 52 (53)
64 The F: Thy
66 Match'd F: Match
68 frantic F: tragic
78 and F: to
88 wast, a garish flag F: were at breath, a bubble
89–90 90 (89) 89 (90) F
89 dignity, a breath, a bubble, F: dignity, a garish flag
93 be thy two sons F: are thy children
94 says F: cries
102–104 she F: one
107 wast F: wert
120 sweeter F: fairer
127 clients F: client
130 will F: do
141 Where 't F: Where
175 with F: in
187 more behold F: look upon
200 more F: moe
212 a royal princess F: of royal blood
216 birth F: births
225 hand F: hands
lanch'd F: lanc'd
262 so F: too
294 gives F: give
324 love F: loan
349 vail F: wail
364–366 (lines transposed)
370 lordly F: holy
376 it F: that
379 didst fear . . . with F: hadst fear'd . . . by
381 Thou hadst not F: Had not been
386 two F: too
387 the F: a
393 with F: in
404 dear F: pure
418 found F: fond
420 you F: thee
502 elder brother F: brother there
518 lord F: liege
528 his course again for Bretagne F: away for Brittany
v. 2 deadly F: bloody
V. i. 3 the most deadly F: this most bloody
10 fellow F: fellows
11 is F: is, my lord,
15 and F: or
24 in F: on
ii. 11 centry F: centre
iii. 20 tract F: track
40 Sweet Blunt, make some good means to speak with him F: Good Captain Blunt, bear my good night to him
46 dew F: air
83 noble F: loving
105 noise F: thoughts
130 king F: the king
132 in F: on
140 in F: on
143 lance F: pointless lance
153 laid F: lead
177 fall F: falls
186 Great reason. Why? F: Great reason why?
187 What? F: What!
200 Throng all F: Throng
202 shall F: will
221 'Tis F: It is
228 and F: the
240 upon F: on
256 swear F: sweat
263 quits F: quit
298 the F: this
305 so F: too
328 seas F: sea
352 helps F: helms
iv. 28 become F: becomes
- ↑ In all, six quartos appeared before the publication of the First Folio, in the following years: 1597, 1598, 1602, 1605, 1612, 1622.
- ↑ For a discussion of the textual problems see: J. Spedding, On the Quarto and Folio of Richard III, Shakespeare Society Transactions, 1875–1876, pp. 1–75 and p. 189; E. H. Pickersgill, On the Quarto and Folio of Richard III, op. cit., 1875–1876, p. 79 ff.; The Cambridge edition, by W. G. Clark and W. A. Wright; P. A. Daniel, Preface to Griggs' Facsimile of the Quarto of 1597, 1884.