Shakespeare's plays have attracted critical attention since his death, and editing his plays became a particularly fashionable activity in the 18th century. Originally proposed in 1745, Johnson's edition of Shakespare's Plays was abandoned, and only resurfaced after the completion of his Dictionary. The first Johnson edition of Shakespeare's Plays appeared in 8 volumes in 1765. In contrast to Pope, he not only expressed approval or disapproval in his notes but also went into detail about his reasons. Boswell spoke of the Johnson Preface in which the excellencies and defects of that immortal...

Shakespeare's Four Folios were published between 1623 and 1685. Although 'folio' refers to the large size of the books, it is also a reflection of the standing in which the plays and their author were held. Up until the publication of the First Folio, works of literature had never before been produced in such large and luxurious a format. In each of the folios, the 26 plays are arranged in genres of Comedies, Histories and Tragedies and include introductory notes by the editors, Heming and Condell. Routledge/Thoemmes Press have re-published the Four Folios in their...