Hamlet There are multiple editions of Hamlet that have been published since Shakespeare’s time. The three main editions are known as the Quartos (one and two) and the First Folio. Because of this, the contents of Hamlet may vary from edition to edition. This was something that surprised me when I first found out about it, so when I looked up two online editions I wanted them to be completely different so I could see how the text had been changed. Folger Digital Texts had a clear and understandable edition of Hamlet that I believe is the First Folio edition, whereas on the Internet Shakespeare Edition I looked at was Quarto 1, 1603. After studying Act 4 Scene 4 in both editions, I came to the conclusion that Folger’s Digital text of Hamlet was superior to the Quarto 1 version and should be used in Professor Denslow’s class.
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For instance, the scene that I looked at was in Act 4, Scene 4. In the Folger edition the scene shows Fortinbras with his army speaking to the captain. He wants the captain to ask the King of Denmark if he could have permission to move his troops across Denmark. He then exits and Hamlet, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern enter. They speak to the captain about Fortinbras and eventually Hamlet is the only character left on stage; he has a small soliloquy about how he must return home to avenge his father. There was a bracket in this version around Guildenstern’s name, which makes me think that perhaps he is not present in other versions of this scene. There was even a bracket around the top of the scene, which again makes me think that this scene might not even be performed in other versions of Hamlet. However, I believe that this scene is important for the audience to see because otherwise they would not know Hamlet’s thinking when he returns to
For instance, the scene that I looked at was in Act 4, Scene 4. In the Folger edition the scene shows Fortinbras with his army speaking to the captain. He wants the captain to ask the King of Denmark if he could have permission to move his troops across Denmark. He then exits and Hamlet, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern enter. They speak to the captain about Fortinbras and eventually Hamlet is the only character left on stage; he has a small soliloquy about how he must return home to avenge his father. There was a bracket in this version around Guildenstern’s name, which makes me think that perhaps he is not present in other versions of this scene. There was even a bracket around the top of the scene, which again makes me think that this scene might not even be performed in other versions of Hamlet. However, I believe that this scene is important for the audience to see because otherwise they would not know Hamlet’s thinking when he returns to