The Oxford Shakespeare
Oxford University Press first published a complete works of Shakespeare in 1891. This single-volume modern-spelling edition bore the title The Complete Works and was edited by William James Craig. That 1891 text stands apart from the series known today as the Oxford Shakespeare, which emerged decades later with fresh editorial direction. The modern series began its life when John Jowett, William Montgomery, Gary Taylor, and Stanley Wells produced a new Complete Works in 1986. This 1986 volume included all of Shakespeare's plays and poems alongside a biographical introduction. Each work received a single-page introduction without explanatory notes, though a glossary appeared at the back of the book. Two companion volumes accompanied the main text: William Shakespeare: A Textual Companion offered comprehensive data on editorial choices for scholars, while William Shakespeare: An Old-Spelling Edition presented the plays in their original spelling.
The Oxford Complete Works attempted to present the text as it was first performed rather than as it was first printed. This approach generated many controversial choices among readers and critics. Editors placed several famous speeches from Hamlet into appendices because evidence suggested Shakespeare added them after the original performances. They presented two separate texts of King Lear due to drastic differences between the two extant versions available. Historical evidence led editors to change the name of Falstaff in Henry IV Part One to Oldcastle, even though that name never survived to print. These decisions prioritized performance history over the traditional printed record. The result challenged long-standing assumptions about how Shakespeare's works should be read and studied by modern audiences.
The Oxford Complete Works broke with tradition by presenting Shakespeare's works in chronological order instead of dividing them by genre. Previous editions had organized plays into comedies, histories, and tragedies based on subject matter. This new arrangement placed works according to their likely date of composition or performance. The shift required editors to make difficult decisions about dating uncertain texts. Individual play volumes followed the same principles as the Complete Works but allowed editors to reject choices if they felt strongly. For example, David Bevington's edition of Henry IV Part One used Falstaff rather than Oldcastle despite the main volume's decision. This flexibility acknowledged that different scholarly perspectives could coexist within the series framework.
Hardback editions of individual plays featured distinctive purple dustjackets while paperbacks followed the design of the Oxford World's Classics editions. Gary Taylor edited Henry V in 1982 alongside H. J. Oliver's Taming of The Shrew and Kenneth Muir's Troilus and Cressida. Eugene M. Waith edited Titus Andronicus in 1984 before Arthur Humphreys handled Julius Caesar that same year. G. R. Hibbard edited Hamlet in 1987 while Stephen Orgel took The Tempest. The publication timeline continued through decades with titles like Richard II appearing in August 2011 edited by Anthony B. Dawson and Paul Yachnin. By 2011, canonical plays were complete except for Edward III and Sir Thomas More which remained from the one-play-per-volume edition. Each volume carried specific editorial credits reflecting decades of scholarship.
The first two editions of the Norton Shakespeare published by W.W. Norton were largely based on the Oxford text but departed from some decisions. This relationship showed how the Oxford approach influenced competing publications across academic publishing houses. Scholars engaged deeply with the controversial choices regarding performance history versus printed texts. The emphasis on collaborative authorship changed how researchers approached attribution studies throughout the late twentieth century. Individual play editors maintained independence to reject main volume choices when their research demanded it. The series established a new standard for presenting Shakespeare's works as living performance texts rather than static literary artifacts. Academic study shifted toward understanding the dynamic nature of early modern drama production and revision processes.
Common questions
When did Oxford University Press first publish a complete works of Shakespeare?
Oxford University Press first published a complete works of Shakespeare in 1891. This single-volume modern-spelling edition bore the title The Complete Works and was edited by William James Craig.
Who edited the new Oxford Shakespeare series that began in 1986?
John Jowett, William Montgomery, Gary Taylor, and Stanley Wells produced a new Complete Works in 1986. This volume included all of Shakespeare's plays and poems alongside a biographical introduction.
Which editors collaborated with Shakespeare on Macbeth Measure for Measure and Timon of Athens according to the 1986 Oxford text?
Editors described Macbeth, Measure for Measure, and Timon of Athens as either collaborations with or revisions by Thomas Middleton. Pericles appeared as a collaboration with George Wilkins while Henry VI Part One was identified as a collaboration with several unknown other dramatists.
How does the chronological order of the Oxford Complete Works differ from previous editions?
The Oxford Complete Works broke with tradition by presenting Shakespeare's works in chronological order instead of dividing them by genre. Previous editions had organized plays into comedies, histories, and tragedies based on subject matter.
When did individual play volumes like Richard II appear in the Oxford Shakespeare series?
Richard II appeared in August 2011 edited by Anthony B. Dawson and Paul Yachnin. By 2011 canonical plays were complete except for Edward III and Sir Thomas More which remained from the one-play-per-volume edition.