The First Folio is the familiar name for the 1623 collected edition titled Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. Compiled by two of Shakespeare's fellow actors, John Heminges and Henry Condell, it gathered the plays in a large-format folio volume and presented for the first time a substantial, authoritative body of dramatic work by William Shakespeare. Published seven years after the poet's death, the volume rescued plays that had not previously appeared in print and became a foundational source for later editors and theatre historians.
Contents and physical form
The First Folio contains the texts of 36 plays, arranged under the headings of comedies, histories and tragedies. The folio format denotes a size created by folding each printed sheet once; the result is a substantial book designed to convey permanence and prestige. The volume includes prefatory material and tributes — most famously a commemorative poem by Ben Jonson — and the plays are presented with speeches, stage directions and character lists as they were known to Heminges and Condell's generation of actors and readers.
Compilation and publication
Heminges and Condell assembled the collection from promptbooks, acting copies and memory, drawing on the theatrical repertory of Shakespeare's company. The edition was produced by London booksellers and printers in 1623; its editors explicitly stated their aim of preserving Shakespeare's work for posterity. Because many plays had previously circulated only in smaller quarto editions or in manuscript, the First Folio played a decisive role in fixing texts that otherwise might have been irretrievably lost.
Textual importance and influence
Scholars and editors rely on the First Folio as a primary witness to Shakespeare's plays. For roughly half of the plays it is the earliest surviving printed source; for about eighteen plays the Folio preserves a text that had never before been printed, including works such as Macbeth, Julius Caesar, Twelfth Night and The Tempest. Its punctuation, spelling and stage directions have shaped centuries of editorial decisions, modern editions and theatrical adaptations.
Survival, rarity and modern value
Printing estimates suggest around seven hundred to eight hundred copies were issued originally; approximately 228 copies survive today. Institutional collections are the principal custodians of these volumes, with the Folger Shakespeare Library holding an exceptionally large number of copies. Individual Folios that appear at auction command high prices, often reaching into the millions because of their cultural significance and rarity.
Notable absences and enduring legacy
The First Folio did not include every play now attributed to Shakespeare: works such as Pericles and The Two Noble Kinsmen appear elsewhere or later, and a few alleged titles like Cardenio or Love's Labour's Won are lost or remain uncertain. Despite these gaps, the 1623 Folio established a durable canon and has become a touchstone for literary history, bibliography and performance practice. Its role in preserving and promoting Shakespeare's drama makes it one of the most important books in the English literary tradition.