NCSQ

Two different versions of Romeo and Juliet were published during Shakespeare''s lifetime: the second quarto of 1599 on which modern editions are usually based and the first quarto of 1597. The latter version was long denigrated as a ''bad'' quarto'' but recent scholarship sees in it a crucial witness for the theatrical practices of Shakespeare and his company. The shorter of the two versions by about one quarter the first quarto has high-paced action fuller stage directions than the second quarto and fascinating alternatives to the famous speeches in the longer version. The introduction to this edition provides a full discussion of the origins of the first quarto before analysing its distinguishing features and presenting a concise history of the 1597 version. The text is provided with a full collation and commentary which alert the reader to crucial differences between the first and the second quartos.