Signing and Scribbling on Shakespeare: Handwritten Marks by Early Modern Readers
Open Access
- Author:
- D'Adderio, Isabella
- Area of Honors:
- English
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Arts
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Claire Mary Louise Bourne, Thesis Supervisor
Carla J. Mulford, Thesis Honors Advisor - Keywords:
- Marginalia
Early Modern Books
Shakespeare
Margins
Playbook
Text
Play
Marks - Abstract:
- In this thesis, I argue that while Shakespeare’s printed works are undeniably valuable, we must also consider the significance of marginalia found throughout his early modern playbooks. Marginalia can be defined as markings inscribed through the hands of early modern readers and is often located in the margins of early printed texts. Because marginalia cover a broad category of markings, I categorized each marking into unique sections. I focus on marginalia that relate to the text, marginalia that relate to reading practices, and marginalia that relate to how readers used their books, which I define as “middle marginalia.” Chapter 1 focuses on the possession and ownership of books, which can be illustrated through signatures and dates and even tell us a fascinating story about the signatory. Chapter 2 focuses on perfecting and editing the playtext, which offers us insight into how early modern readers valued their playbooks and strove to maintain accuracy for a variety of reasons. Chapter 3 focuses on miscellaneous marks, which include drawings or scribbles. These markings may allow us to grasp how the reader interpreted the text through an illustration and even offer a comment on the text itself that may not have been seen otherwise. While we will never know the exact intentions of the early modern reader who marked up their playbooks, it is still worth examining the unique traces left behind, as we may receive valuable insight into how early books were both treated and interpreted. Each unique marginalia allow us to witness moments of life from hundreds of years ago, and even more, imagine the hands of those who inscribed such fascinating marks we can still study today.