Watch again: Why the First Folio Matters
Research Fellow in English Dr Eve Houghton presented a talk exploring the significance of Shakespeare’s First Folio, delving into how it has captivated audiences for over 400 years.
St John’s hosted the online discussion titled Shakespeare for All Time: how the Bard’s legacy endures through the First Folio. The whole discussion is now available to watch again.
Dr Houghton talk revealed that the First Folio’s timelessness lies not in rarity or beautiful craftsmanship, but in its authenticity to Shakespeare’s work and the universality of emotions explored therein.
“Shakespeare is timeless; he has as much to say to the writers of antiquity as to the readers and audiences of the present,” she explained.
Shakespeare’s First Folio, published in 1623, was the first collected edition of Shakespeare’s work. Since its creation, the First Folio has been viewed as superior to other editions, as the definitive source of authority for Shakespearean work. While later 16th-century folios were adapted to suit new audiences, the 1623 edition is generally viewed as the closest we can get to hearing Shakespeare’s own voice.
The group heard how the First Folio’s importance also lies in its formidable physical presence, which is ever more important amid the increasing digitalisation of archives around the world – the folio imposes its “aura” and “charisma” when seen in person.
Dr Houghton also explored the First Folio’s changing significance in the modern world, at a time when diversity in the media is under the public eye more than ever, asking the question: “Is Shakespeare’s First Folio still for all time?”
She said: “The First Folio represents a vision of English literary history that is in many ways traditional and hierarchical, positioning Shakespeare, a white male Elizabethan author, at the centre of our canons and curricula at a moment when that hierarchy is being contested and challenged in many classrooms.”
However, despite the Bard’s changing status in the story of English literature, Shakespeare’s First Folio retains its position at the forefront of literary discussion, as the emotions and storylines in his finest works continue to resonate with readers and audiences worldwide. As playwright Ben Johnson said, Shakespeare is “not for an age, but for all time”.
Written by Jamie Courtney
