The Works of William Shakespeare in 38 Volumes BELL'S EDITION 1784 Rare Complete

Buy Now

The Complete Plays of William Shakespeare: "Bell's Edition", printed for John Bell in London, including a two volume prologue with incredibly interesting information as detailed below. Printed between 1784 and 1785 with dates below the engraved title page to each volume. Each volume has a rather beautiful frontispiece and engraved title page in addition to the general title page.

Each volume also has the commentaries of Samuel Johnson and George Stevens bound into the rear which are scarce to find complete with each volume.

-------------------

VERY RARE TO FIND THIS SET COMPLETE WITH ALL VOLUMES INCLUDING PROLOGUES AND COMMENTARIES!

-------------------

John Bell was a Scottish publisher and bookseller who is best known for publishing the first complete collection of Shakespeare's works in a single edition of 38 volumes. One of the unique features of Bell's Edition was its affordability. While previous editions of Shakespeare's works were expensive and out of reach for many readers, Bell's edition was priced at just two shillings and sixpence per volume, making it accessible to a much wider audience - the first to do so.

To further the appeal of the edition, Bell enlisted some of the most prominent literary figures of the time to write introductory essays and critical commentary for each of the plays. These included Samuel Johnson who wrote the preface to the edition, alongside other well known writers such as Edward Capell, George Stevens, and Alexander Pope.

The publication of Bell's Edition was a major event in the history of Shakespearean scholarship and literature. It helped to solidify Shakespeare's reputation as one of the greatest playwrights in the English language and made his works accessible to a much wider audience than ever before.

Today, Bell's Edition is highly valued by collectors and Shakespeare enthusiasts. Complete sets are incredibly rare and highly sought after, particularly bound in 38 volumes as opposed to the usual 18 or 20 volume sets as these were more commonly split up as people often sold off the most popular of the plays such as Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, etc.

-------------------

A fantastic set including essays on the origin of the English stage, the Globe theatre, names of original actors in Shakespeare's plays, criticism, an attempt to ascertain the original order in which Shakespeare's plays were written, the life of Shakespeare, his will with foldout plate, anecdotes, registers of the Shakespeare family, etc.

Also with plates depicting portraits of those who wrote the various prefaces, Shakespeare himself, a plate depicting Shakespeare's house in Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare's monument in Westminster, etc.

-------------------

Contents:

Volume 1-2: Prolegomena

Volume 3-4: The Tempest; Two Gentlemen of Verona

Volume 5-6: The Merry Wives of Windsor; Much Ado About Nothing

Volume 7-8: Measure for Measure; Comedy of Errors

Volume 9-10: Love's Labour's Lost; Midsummer Night's Dream

Volume 11-12: Merchant of Venice; As You Like It

Volume 13-14: Taming of the Shrew; All's Well That Ends Well

Volume 15-16: Twelfth Night; Winter's Tale

Volume 17-18: Macbeth; King John

Volume 19-20: King Richard II, King Henry IV part 1

Volume 21-22: King Henry IV part 2; King Henry V

Volume 23-24: King Henry VI part 1; King Henry VI part 2

Volume 25-26: King Henry VI part 3; King Richard III

Volume 27-28: King Henry VIII; Coriolanus

Volume 29-30: Julius Caesar; Antony and Cleopatra

Volume 31-32:Timon of Athens; King Lear

Volume 33-34: Hamlet; Titus Andronicus

Volume 35-36: Troilus and Cressida; Othello

Volume 37-38: Cymbeline; Romeo and Juliet.

-------------------

Condition: Very Good (VG)

Overall a very handsome set of the works of Shakespeare. Minor rubbing to boards and wear to extremities as typical. Bindings are probably either original or very near to the time of printing. Wear to spines which would aesthetically improve dramatically with the application of a leather conditioner to each volume (we recommend a specific book leather conditioner by Otter Bookbinding). Page edges generally VG, dulled to the top as typical. Front and rear free endpapers with offsetting due to the calf binding. All volumes collated as complete. Some volumes with minor foxing to frontispieces and engraved title pages. Text blocks generally very lightly toned, but generally extremely clean and in excellent condition. Quite rarely, the books are without any bookplates or ownership inscriptions and present beautifully.