Dating Shakespeare’s Plays: Richard III The Tragedy of King Richard t he Third with the Landing of Earle Richmond and the Battel at Boſworth Field he earliest date for The Tragedy of King murther of his innocent Nephewes: his Richard III (Q1) is 1577, the first edition tyrannicall vsurpation: with the whole of Holinshed. The latest possible date is at course of his detested life, and most deserued Tthe publication of the First Quarto in 1597. death. As it hath beene lately Acted by the Right honourable the Lord Chamber laine his seruants. By William Shake-speare. London Publication Date Printed by Thomas Creede, for Andrew Wise, dwelling in Paules Church yard, at the signe of the Angell. 1598. The Tragedy of King Richard III was registered in 1597, three years after The Contention( 2 Henry The play went through four more quartos before VI) and three years before The True Tragedy of the First Folio in 1623: Richard Duke of York (3 Henry VI): [Q3 1602] The Tragedie of King Richard [SR 1597] 20 Octobris. Andrewe Wise. Entred the third. Conteining his treacherous Plots for his copie vnder thandes of master Barlowe, against his brother Clarence: the pittifull and master warden Man. The tragedie of murther of his innocent Nephewes: his kinge Richard the Third with the death of the tyrannical vsurpation: with the whole course Duke of Clarence. of his detested life, and most deserued death. As it hath bene lately Acted by the Right The play was published anonymously: Honourable the Lord Cham berlaine his seruants. Newly augmented, By William [Q1 1597] The Tragedy Of King Richard Shakespeare. London. Printed by Thomas the third. Containing, His treacherous Creede, for Andrew Wise, dwelling in Paules Plots against his brother Clarence: the Church-yard, at the signe of the Angell. 1602. pittiefull murther of his iunocent nephewes: his tyrannical! vsurpation: with the whole The registration was transferred from Andrew course of his detested life, and most deserued Wise to Matthew Lawe in 1603: death. As it hath beene lately Acted by the Right honourable the Lord Chamberlaine his seruants. At London Printed by Valentine [SR 1603] 25. Junii Mathew Lawe. Entred Sims, for Andrew Wise, dwelling in Paules for his copies in full courte Holden this Day. Chuch-yard, at the Signe of the Angell. 1597. These ffyve copies followinge ijs vjd viz. iij enterludes or playes. The ffirst is of Richard the .3. ... all kinges . all whiche by con sent The play seems to have been very successful and of the Company are sett ouer to him from was quickly reprinted with attribution to William Andrew Wyse. Shakespeare. [Q4 1605] The Tragedie of King Richard [Q2 1598] The Tragedie of King Richard the third. Containing his treacherous Plots the third. Conteining his treacherous Plots against his brother Clarence: the pittifull against his brother Clarence: the pitiful murther of his innocent Nephewes: his tyrannicall vsurpation: with the whole course © De Vere Society 1 Dating Shakespeare’s Plays: Richard III The title page to the anonymous first quarto of True The title page to the first quarto of Richard Tragedie of Richard III, 1594; it has generally been III, 1598. By permission of Bodleian Library, believed that this play was not by another author but University of Oxford, shelfmark Arch. G e.21, title some scholars have argued that it was an early version page. by Shakespeare, which he later revised. By permission of the Folger Shakespeare Library. of his detested life, and most deserued death. murder of his innocent Nephewes: his As it hath bin lately Acted by the Right tyrannicall Vsurpation: with the whole course Honourable the Lord Cham-berlaine his of his detested life, and most deserued death. seruants. Newly augmented, By William As it hath been lately Acted by the Kings Shake-speare. London, Printed by Thomas Maiesties Seruants. Newly augmented. By Creede, and are to be sold by Mathew Lawe, William Shake-speare. [Ornament] Lon don, dwelling in Paules Church-yard, at the Signe Printed by Thomas Purfoot, and are to be sold of the Foxe, neare S. Austins gate, 1605. by Mathew Law, dwelling In Pauls Church- yard, at the Signe of the Foxe, neere S. Austines [Q5 1612] The Tragedie of King Richard gate, 1622. The Third.... As it hath beene lately Acted by the Kings Maiesties seruants ... 1612. [Otherwise the same as Q4] Each later quarto appears to have been reprinted from its immediate predecessor, despite the claims [Q6 1622] The Tragedie Of King Richard in Q3 and successive quartos of being “newly The Third. Contayning his treacherous Plots against his brother Clarence: The pittifull augmented”; perhaps this was a ‘publisher’s lure’. © De Vere Society 2 Dating Shakespeare’s Plays: Richard III Parts of Q5 seem to rely on Q3 rather than Q4. Folio version was a revision.1 One famous passage, According to Chambers, the text of Q6 shows the so-called clock dialogue (4.2.102–18) occurs some significant differences from previous quartos, in Q1 but not in F1. Furthermore, F1 seems to which suggests that the compositors had access to rely on Q3 for the passages 3.1.1–165 and 5.3.49 authorial papers. Some of these variations in Q6 – end of the play. In conclusion, there is no overall appear in F1. agreement on the relationship between Q1 and F1. [F1 1623] the Life & Death of Richard the Third Performance Date The status of the quartos has been the subject of Reference to performances post-date the debate, but is generally accepted as ‘good’. The publication of Q1. Chambers (WS, I, 303) believes F1 version of Richard III is the second longest that the style and psychology point to an early play in F1, after Hamlet, with about 3,600 lines. period and he “does not think it inconceivable” There are approximately 230 lines not in Qq that it was the Buckingham performed by and about 2,000 readings (one tenth of the text) Sussex’s Men on 1 Jan 1594. Bullough rejects which vary from Q1 to F1. This is less than in this on two accounts: firstly Buckingham is not other quartos, allowing it to escape the label ‘bad’ the protagonist of this play (the character has quarto. Chambers (WS I, 297) asserts that the 376 lines compared with Richard’s 1171 lines); extra lines in F1 occur in long speeches or long secondly the play Buckingham may refer to that dialogues, blending with the style and context, Duke of Buckingham who was executed in 1521. and smoothing over some abrupt changes which Meres mentions the play in 1598 and it is quoted occur when they are omitted. He suggests that by Marston in Scourge of Villanie (1598) and in these extra lines in F1 were cut from the original 2 Parnassus (?1598–1602). Many commentators text by the author, i.e. that F1 is derived from a believe that Richard III was composed for the great copy of the original play, while Qq are cut forms actor, Richard Burbage.2 The earliest reference of it. One passage as long as 55 lines is cut from to Burbage in the role is recorded by John 4.4 288–342 in what is taken as an attempt to Manningham of the Middle Temple, whose diary shorten the play. Wells and Taylor concur with entry on 13 March 1601 (NS 1602), might have Chambers. been referring to events some time previously: Cairncross, however, believes that Q1 was shortened by Pembroke’s Men for touring the Vpon a tyme when Burbidge played Rich. 3. provinces in 1592, as he believes had happened there was a citizen greue soe farr in liking with with The First Part of the Contention (Q1 of 2 him, that before shee went from the play shee Henry VI) and The True Tragedie(O1 of 3 Henry appointed him to come to her that night vnto VI). Patrick argued that Q1 was a memorial hir by the name of Ri: the 3. Shakespeare, reconstruction. He cited evidence of shifting (the overhearing their conclusion, went before, transposition of words and phrases, usually within was intertained and at his game ere Burbidge a line), anticipation, recollection and synonymous came. Then message being brought that Rich. The 3.d was at the dore, Shakespeare substitution. Patrick also suggests that Q1 might caused returne to be made that William be a deliberate simplification used for touring. the Conquerour was before Rich. The 3. One imaginative suggestion was that the text Shakespeare’s name William. (Chambers, was collaboratively prepared by the company to WS, 2 212) replace a missing prompt book, perhaps during 1597 when the Lord Chamberlain’s Men visited Burbage was a member of the Lord Chamberlain’s Kent and the West Country (see Hammond or Men, which began performing in 1594. It is Davison for more details). assumed that the text of Richard III came to Peter Davison has examined Q1 carefully and them along with other texts and various players reviewed the theories explaining its origin. He including Burbage and Shakespeare. Davison argues that The Tragedy of King Richard III (Q1) argues that the play was performed by the Lord was revised into the text underlying Richard III in Chamberlain’s Men when they toured the west, F1. A few lines in Q1, not in F1, suggest that the visiting Bristol and Marlborough in 1597. © De Vere Society 3 Dating Shakespeare’s Plays: Richard III There is no evidence to determine the sequence This play opens with a Prologue spoken by the of composition of the Henry VI trilogy and figures of Truth and Poetry, to whom the ghost Richard III.