The First Folio of 1623 was prepared for print by two members of Shakespeare's acting troupe -- John Hemings and Henry Condell -- which included comic actor Will Kemp and the great tragedian Richard Burbage. In a fascinating and detailed introduction, Freeman points out that because Shakespeare and his colleagues wrote from a rhetorical tradition -- a society where the emphasis was on the spoken word -- he wrote with an eye to how he wanted his plays performed, giving as much direction as possible to his actors. Freeman looks at what is known of the printing of that First Folio and analyzes the variations between the First Folio, later Folios, Quarto editions (where available) and modern editions of the plays. He examines the "corrections" made by editors over the centuries that have shaped the way we perceive Shakespeare today -- from the regularization of verse, to the changes from prose to verse (and vice versa) and the standardization of character prefixes.

The Tragedy of Julius Caesar (First Folio title: The Tragedie of Ivlivs Cæsar) is a set of experiences play and misfortune by William Shakespeare originally acted in 1599. It is one of four plays composed by Shakespeare dependent on obvious occasions from Roman history, the others being Coriolanus, Titus Andronicus, and Antony and Cleopatra. Set in Rome in 44 BC, the play portrays the ethical situation of Brutus as he joins a trick drove by Cassius to kill Julius Caesar to keep him from turning out to be tyrant of Rome. Following Caesar's demise, Rome is pushed into a time of common war, and the republic the schemers tried to save is lost for eternity. Despite the fact that the play is named Julius Caesar, Brutus talks multiple occasions the same number of lines as the title character; and the focal mental dramatization of the play centers around Brutus' battle between the clashing requests of honor, energy, and fellowship.

The Tragedy of Julius Caesar is a historical play and tragedy by William Shakespeare first performed in 1599, and originally published in the First Folio of 1623 as The Tragedie of Ivlivs Caesar. It is one of several plays written by Shakespeare based on true events from Roman history, and has gone on to become one of his most famous and well-read works. Our special student edition has each alternate page blank, to write notes or use as you wish.