By Kathryn Neves
You’ve probably read Hamlet. You’ve probably seen it performed. But which Hamlet do you really know?
For the last four hundred years, scholars and fans alike have debated the play’s themes and meaning, and it’s resulted in some spectacular productions of the Bard’s most famous tragedy. But there’s an unanswered question that goes beyond the contents of the play—and into the text itself. What did Shakespeare really write?
The answer is more complicated than you might think. Hamlet—along with eighteen of his other plays—survive in multiple versions. Between early copies published individually, to the first edition compiling all his works into one volume, Shakespeare’s plays can be a little—or even a lot—different, depending on where you read them. Hamlet is one of the more problematic plays in this sense; it exists in three different versions, and each one gives us a slightly different view of the gloomy prince and his court.
First Folio: The Theatrical Cut?
In 1623, seven years after Shakespeare’s death, two of the actors in his company finished a monumental project: a printed edition of 36 of his plays. It was the very first Complete Works of Shakespeare, instrumental in preserving his work for the entire world. The book, known by scholars as the First Folio (‘folio’ referring to the size of the paper, which was similar to an encyclopedia volume), was very possibly compiled based on the performance manuscripts; it was, after all, made by the actors of the company. This might be why some lines have been cut from this version, and a few things have been added. These changes, some scholars say, are revisions that Shakespeare (or other members of the company) added for practical, production reasons. They believe it’s the closest to what Shakespeare wanted for the stage.
Second Quarto: From the Desk of William Shakespeare?
While the Folio was the first to put all the plays together, it wasn’t the first time many of the plays had been published. Nineteen of Shakespeare’s plays were published earlier, all individually, in what’s known as the quarto format (which was about the size of a modern paperback). The Second Quarto edition of Hamlet, published in 1604, was (according to some scholars) likely copied from Shakespeare’s own manuscripts. Unlike the Folio, it was published during Shakespeare’s lifetime, meaning it’s possible the Bard had some input on the printing. The Second Quarto is by far the longest of the Hamlets, containing around 200 lines that were cut from the First Folio. Many scholars consider it the most complete version. According to them, it’s the closest to Shakespeare’s original intent.
Hamlet and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Quarto
Lastly, we have the First Quarto—often called the Bad Quarto. That’s because this version of Hamlet is, well… bad. Or rather, a bad copy. It’s about half the length of the Hamlet we know today, and the lines are unfamiliar and strange. For example, “to be, or not to be, that is the question” becomes “to be, or not to be, ay, there’s the point.” While this might have been a very early draft of the play, most scholars think it’s actually a poor reconstruction of a performance. They argue that a bit-part actor in Shakespeare’s company tried to write down the play from memory, and did it very badly.
Spot the Difference, Hamlet Edition
Even without counting the Bad Quarto, the other two versions of Hamlet have a lot of differences. For one thing, the Folio is missing about 200 lines that are included in the Second Quarto—and the Quarto is missing around 80 that are in the Folio. There are other differences, too; words here and there are changed, which often changes the meaning of the passage. For example, the Quarto uses “sallied flesh,” while the Folio uses “solid.” Which did Shakespeare really mean? Is Hamlet’s flesh too alive, too present? Or is it somehow impure?
Certain scenes and monologues take place at different times in each version. Some names are different (Gertrude is ‘Gertradt’ in the Quarto, for example). Sometimes entire passages are changed, cut, or added. In one instance, the Folio gives Laertes a moment of sweet reflection after seeing Ophelia’s descent into madness: “Nature is fine in love and where ‘tis fine / It sends some precious instance of itself after / The thing it loves.” This is nowhere in the Quarto. Does Shakespeare want Laertes to be reflective here? Or did he prefer the Quarto version, where Laertes is more direct and to the point?
One of the biggest differences between the Quarto and the Folio is an entire monologue—one of Hamlet’s most iconic. In the Second Quarto, after seeing Fortinbras’ army, Hamlet delivers his famous speech: “How all occasions do inform against me / And spur my dull revenge.” It’s here that he resolves to change his overthinking ways, and to become a man of action: “From this time forth / My thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth!” And yet, this soliloquy is nowhere to be found in the Folio—perhaps cut for time. Which, then, is closer to what Shakespeare wanted? Did he want the play without the monologue? Or did he only cut it out of necessity, and truly prefer to keep it in? And how does that change the play?
Exit, Pursued by Editors
All of this begs the question: why are they so different? And which one is the real Hamlet?
There’s a few different theories. Some scholars believe there’s a lost, “true” version of Hamlet—an archetype, which each edition was based on. They argue that the changes are due to printers’ errors or minor performance changes, but that they all point back to one original “correct” play. Another theory is that Shakespeare revised his work over the years, returning to his masterpiece time after time to refine it. According to this theory, then, the Folio is the “true” Hamlet, and the others are all just older drafts. Still other scholars think that the Quarto is the “true” edition, and that the changes in the Folio were made by lesser writers, copyeditors and actors. They think that Shakespeare’s real intention lies with this earlier copy.
Unfortunately, there’s no easy answer. Short of building a time machine and asking the Bard himself, we have to make do with the fact that we’ll never know. For centuries now scholars and editors have compromised, taking the best from all three editions (yes, even the Bad Quarto) and combining them in “conflated texts.” They carefully research and study, debating over which passage is the most “correct.” They triangulate the different copies and eventually create an edition that gives audiences the very best Hamlet they can. Chances are, every production of Hamlet you’ve seen, every copy you’ve read, has been one of these conflated editions.
Every time Hamlet is printed or performed, it’s because someone made choices. Editors in Shakespeare’s day chose which lines to reproduce. Scholars in our day choose which versions to include. Directors choose to cut or move lines, and actors decide how they will recite them. In truth, there is no “true” Hamlet anymore. Hamlet, and other Shakespeare plays, are the sum of choices and compromises. They’re all reflections of what we think Shakespeare was trying to say.
