A textual study of the 1600 quarto and 1623 filio of Shakespeare's play, Much Ado About Nothing.

Abstract

Shakespeare's play, Much Ado About Nothing, was first published in book form in a 1600 Quarto. Twenty-three years later it appeared again in print in the Folio of 1623. There has been much disagreement concerning what text of Much Ado About Nothing was used for the Folio edition. Theories hypothesize that the Folio text was set from a playhouse prompt book, from the author's autograph, or from the Quarto. An investigation of the textual differences between the 1600 Quarto and the 1623 Folio establishes a certain amount of acceptability of one of these thoughts over the others. Fredson Bower's, Bibliography and Textual Criticism, was especially helpful in establishing the guidelines for such an evaluation. A survey of the sources for Much Ado About Nothing coupled with an understanding of Elizabethan printing methods also adds to the total comprehensiveness of a study of this play.