SHAKESPEARE, William. Othello, The Moor of Venice. A Tragedy. (1695 - SIXTH EDITION)

AUTHOR: SHAKESPEARE, William. 

TITLE: Othello, The Moor of Venice. A Tragedy. As it hath divers times Acted at the Globe, and at the Black-Friers: and now at the Theatre Royal,...

PUBLISHER: London: for Richard Bentley, 1695.

DESCRIPTION: SIXTH EDITION. (ii)76pp., complete, quarto, 8-5/8" x 6-1/4", several leaves with untrimmed bottom edges, some toning and foxing to pages, closed tear to F2 mended without loss, a few headlines slightly trimmed but generally good wide margins, ex-libris Viscount Mersey of Bignor Park with book label inside front cover, bound in full red morocco, vertical lettered spine, covers ruled in gilt, gilt dentelles, hinges fine, a VERY GOOD copy of a scarce edition.

REFERENCE: Wing S-2942; Bartlett 108.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Some of Shakespeare’s plays were initially published individually as small, slim pamphlets, as opposed to the larger format of the collected plays. Editions of individual plays remained popular throughout the seventeenth century. This edition of Othello was advertised as both an “old” and a “new” play: the title-page mentions performances at the Globe and the Blackfriars theatres (where they were first performed by Shakespeare’s company) as well as recent performances at the Theatre Royal in late-seventeenth-century London. Unlike the earliest editions, this edition includes a “Dramatis Personae,” a list of characters that identifies the actors and actresses who played each principal part.

ABPC and RBH locate only 4 copies appearing at auction in the last 64 years. The last copy to appear at auction was 1995.