Chapter 4 - The Tonson Era 2

Summary

This chapter charts the second phase of the Tonson Shakespeare editions, examining texts produced from the mid eighteenth century onwards. The editorial work of Samuel Johnson is explored, with particular attention being paid to his registering of the principle that those texts published closest to an author's own time have a greater authority than later editions. The editorial work of those who inherited Johnson's edition – George Steevens and Isaac Reed – is examined. Edward Capell and Edmond Malone are presented as exemplary figures, whose work anticipated much editorial practice in the modern era, though it is noted that the logistical complexity of Capell's edition (and his obscure prose style) meant that his achievements were not fully appreciated until a later period. Malone's edition is seen as offering a kind of capstone to the editorial achievements of the eighteenth century and setting compass points for Shakespeare editing in the nineteenth century and beyond.