Folio Fragments
A curious cultural and economic phenomenon has developed over a few centuries: the sale and purchase of fragments of the Shakespeare Folios, especially the First Folio. This Folio has become the secular equivalent of the Gutenberg Bible: it’s worth having at least a page rather than none. Fragments of the Shakespeare Folios reside in many a library or museum. Determining their authenticity can be vexing, however. As recently as 2021 a fragment containing only one play, 1 Henry IV, was on auction for $50,000-100,0000. Collectors have sought fragments to complete or repair folios or just to possess them. On display here are fragments from both the First Folio (1623) and the Second Folio (1632).
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William Shakespeare. Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories & Tragedies. London, 1623.
The portion of the First Folio contains King Lear, Othello, and Anthony and Cleopatra - the last three tragedies of this volume (discounting Cymbeline, which is a comedy).
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Williams Shakespeare. Mr. William Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories and Tragedies. London, 1632.
The library has three separate fragments from the Second Folio. Two of them have single plays: Richard III and Twelfth Night, opened to the play’s beginning.
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The next full page contains the “Actors Names”; we understand that to mean the “characters’ names.” They are arranged by social standing and gender and include a curious group of “Irregular Humorists” (disorderly whimsical people). Even “Epilogue” is listed as a separate character, leaving open to editors’ imaginations who might actually speak that part.
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The remaining fragment contains three plays: Richard II, 1 Henry IV, and 2 Henry IV; the last opens to the Epilogue of the play. This Epilogue occupies a whole page and uses italic font exclusively, setting it apart from the rest of the text. It is highly self-conscious, refers to this “displeasing play,” and promises that the “humble author” will continue the narrative in another play.