First Folio facts for kids
The First Folio is a very important book. It is the first collection of plays written by William Shakespeare. It was published in 1623. Its full title is Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies.
Two of Shakespeare's friends, John Heminges and Henry Condell, put this collection together. They were also actors in his theater company.
Contents
What Makes the First Folio Special?
The First Folio is special because it saved many of Shakespeare's plays. Without it, 18 of his plays might have been lost forever. These include famous ones like Macbeth and Julius Caesar.
How Many Copies Exist?
Experts believe about 750 copies of the First Folio were printed. Today, only 228 copies are known to still exist.
The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C. owns the most copies. They have 82 of them. When a First Folio is sold, it can cost millions of dollars.
Missing Plays
Not all of Shakespeare's plays are in the First Folio. Four plays are missing from this collection. These include Pericles, Prince of Tyre and The Two Noble Kinsmen. Two other "lost plays," Cardenio and Love's Labours Won, are also not in it.
Images for kids
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Memorial to William Shakespeare in the Poets' Corner, Westminster Abbey
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Comparison of the "To be, or not to be" speech in different early versions of Hamlet.
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Table of Contents from the First Folio
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Memorial to John Heminges and Henry Condell, who helped publish the First Folio.
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The First Folio at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
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The Folger Shakespeare Library owns many copies of the First Folio.
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See also
In Spanish: First Folio para niños
