SHAKESPEARE, William. Julius Caesar. A Tragedy. As it is Now Acted at the Theatre Royal. (1691 - THE SECOND QUARTO EDITION OF ONE OF SHAKESPEARE'S MOST POPULAR PLAYS)

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"Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your Ears,"

AUTHOR: SHAKESPEARE, William. 

TITLE: Julius Caesar. A Tragedy. As it is Now Acted at the Theatre Royal.

PUBLISHER: London: Henry Herringman, and Richard Bentley, 1691.

DESCRIPTION: THE SECOND QUARTO EDITION OF ONE OF SHAKESPEARE'S MOST POPULAR PLAYS. 4to. (219 x 160 mm), (i)60pp.. bound in 19th century 1/2 green morocco and marbled boards and endpapers, modern custom 1/4 green morocco clam-shell slipcase.

CONDITION: Small repairs at fore-edge of title, scattered foxing and occasional mild toning, overall A VERY GOOD COPY.

PROVENANCE: Frederick William Cosens (1819-1889, bookplate); Ralph Vallone, Jr. (bookplate).

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Julius Caesar was one of the twenty plays which made their first appearance in the 1623 First Folio. Of these, three were issued in quarto format during the 17th century: The Taming of the Shrew, Macbeth, and Julius Caesar. The first quarto of Julius Caesar appeared in 1684. Bartlett placed four undated quartos between this and the present 1691 edition (making this the sixth).  Only two contain a date, the first 1684 and this 1691, and all seem to have been published to take advantage of the play's popularity after Thomas Betterton revived it at Drury Lane in 1682.  However, more recently Wing gave priority to this edition, placing the undated editions at around 1695.

REFERENCE: Bartlett 117; Pforzheimer 886; Wing S-2922A.