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The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 5 of 9] cover

The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 5 of 9]

Chapter 169: NOTE II.
By William Shakespeare
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About This Book

The volume presents a connected sequence of historical dramas that dramatize the disintegration of centralized power and the violent struggle among rival claimants for the crown. Through scenes of political intrigue, popular unrest, pitched battles, and calculated betrayals, it shows how shifting alliances and personal ambition accelerate dynastic collapse and reshape leadership. The plays interweave public spectacle with intimate moments of downfall and remorse, exploring themes of legitimacy, governance, and the human cost of civil war. Scholarly apparatus accompanies the texts, offering prefatory and editorial commentary, variant readings, and notes on publication history.

NOTES TO THE FIRST PART OF THE CONTENTION, &c.

NOTE I.

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I. 66. The Quarto of 1594 has ‘Exet’ throughout this play, which is corrected in the edition of 1619 to ‘Exit,’ and in that of 1600 to ‘Exit’ or ‘exeunt.’ We have only recorded the corrections of ‘Exet’ to ‘Exeunt.’

NOTE II.

II. 45–47. Instead of these lines the Quarto of 1619 has:

‘As long as Gloster beares this base and humble minde:
Were I a man, and Protector as he is,
I’de reach to ’th Crowne, or make some hop headlesse.
And being but a woman, ile not behinde
For playing of my part, in spite of all that seek to crosse me thus:
Who is within there?’

NOTE III.

VI. 11–27. In the edition of 1619 this passage is so much altered that it is necessary to give it at full:

‘The second was William of Hatfield,
Who dyed young.
The third was Lyonell, Duke of Clarence.
The fourth was Iohn of Gaunt,
The Duke of Lancaster.
The fift was Edmund of Langley,
Duke of Yorke.
The sixt was William of Windsore,
Who dyed young.
The seauenth and last was Sir Thomas of Woodstocke, Duke of Yorke.

Now Edward the blacke Prince dyed before his Father, leauing behinde him two sonnes, Edward borne at Angolesme, who died young, and Richard that was after crowned King, by the name of Richard the second, who dyed without an heyre.

Lyonell Duke of Clarence dyed, and left him one only daughter, named Phillip, who was married to Edmund Mortimer earle of March and Vlster: and so by her I claime the Crowne, as the true heire to Lyonell Duke of Clarence, third sonne to Edward the third.’

NOTE IV.

XVIII. 37, 38. On the line ‘Thou ridest on a foot-cloth doest thou not?’ Mr Halliwell remarks, ‘This passage, though completely necessary for the sense, is entirely omitted in the edition of 1619 and by Mr Knight.’ It is indeed omitted by Mr Knight, who follows Steevens, but it is found in Capell’s copy of the edition of 1619, ‘Thou ridest on a foot-cloth, dost thou not?’ We take this opportunity of remarking that, in all cases where the readings given by us from the edition of 1619 differ from those quoted by Mr Halliwell, we have given them as they stand in Capell’s copy. Mr Halliwell appears to quote from Mr Knight’s reprint. Instances of these variations occur in Scene III. line 6, where Steevens and Mr Knight print ‘They’ for ‘That,’ the reading of all the Quartos: in Scene IV. line 41, where they have ‘treason’ for ‘treasons:’ in Scene VII. line 3, where they have ‘against’ for ‘gainst.’ In Scene X. line 76, Mr Halliwell says the edition of 1619 reads ‘with the vnbloody beake’: in Capell’s copy it is ‘With vnbloody beake.’ In XX. 16 he quotes ‘Yet if I do not’ as the reading of the edition of 1619 where Capell’s copy has ‘Yet if do not,’ the former being the reading of Steevens’s reprint. In XX. 28 ‘hand’ is the reading of all the Quartos, while Steevens has ‘hands.’ It is possible that these variations may be found in other copies of the ed. of 1619.

NOTE V.

XX. 36. In the edition of 1594 the words which follow ‘beare it’ have dropped out.