The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 2 of 9]Shakespeare, William
General
The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 2 of 9]
Shakespeare, William
English drama
V. 1. 44–60. We have followed the Quartos in assigning this speech to
Theseus alone. In the Folios Lysander is represented as reading the
‘brief’ and Theseus as commenting upon it. Theobald first restored
the arrangement of the Quartos.
NOTE X.
V. 1. 125. The stage direction of the Folios is ‘Tawyer with a
trumpet before them,’ Tawyer being generally understood to be the
name of the trumpeter; but Mr Collier, on the strength of a note in
the corrected Folio ‘Enter Presenter,’ interprets ‘Tawyer’ as the
name of the actor who filled the part of Presenter and introduced the
characters of the play.
NOTE XI.
V. 1. 160. In the Variorum edition of 1821 ‘lime’ is given as the
reading of the Folios, and ‘lome’ of the Quartos, the fact being that
F1 F2 read ‘loame,’ and F3 F4 ‘loam.’
NOTE XII.
V. 1. 390–411. This speech, which in the Folios is made ‘The Song,’
was restored by Johnson to Oberon, following the Quartos. He adds,
‘But where then is the song?—I am afraid it is gone after many other
things of greater value. The truth is that two songs are lost. The
series of the scene is this: after the speech of Puck, Oberon enters,
and calls his fairies to a song, which song is apparently wanting in
all the copies. Next Titania leads another song which is indeed lost
like the former, though the editors have endeavoured to find it. Then
Oberon dismisses his fairies to the despatch of the ceremonies. The
songs, I suppose, were lost, because they were not inserted in the
players’ parts, from which the drama was printed.’
NOTE XIII.
V. 1. 408, 409. The difficulty in these two lines is at once removed
by transposing them, as was suggested by C. R. W. a correspondent in
the Illustrated London News. Mr Staunton was at one time inclined to
think that ‘Ever shall’ was a corruption of ‘Every hall,’ but he now
adheres to the solution above given. Malone incorrectly attributes to
Pope the reading which he himself adopts, ‘E’er shall it in safety
rest,’ Pope’s reading being ‘Ever shall in safety rest’ as in Rowe’s
second edition.
THE MERCHANT OF VENICE.
DRAMATIS PERSONÆ[1]
The DUKE OF VENICE.
The PRINCE OF MOROCCO[2], suitor to Portia.
The PRINCE OF ARRAGON, ” ”
ANTONIO, a merchant of Venice.
BASSANIO, his friend, suitor likewise to Portia.
SALANIO, friend to Antonio and Bassanio.
SALARINO, ” ” ”
GRATIANO, ” ” ”
SALERIO[3], ” ” ”
LORENZO, in love with Jessica.
SHYLOCK, a rich Jew.
TUBAL, a Jew, his friend.
LAUNCELOT GOBBO, the clown, servant to Shylock.
OLD GOBBO, father to Launcelot.
LEONARDO, servant to Bassanio.
BALTHASAR[4], servant to Portia.
STEPHANO, ” ”
PORTIA, a rich heiress.
NERISSA, her waiting-maid.
JESSICA, daughter to Shylock.
Magnificoes of Venice, Officers of the Court of Justice, Gaoler,
Servants to Portia, and other Attendants.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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