First collection of William Shakespeare’s plays on show to toast key anniversary

The 400-year-old collection includes the first publication of Macbeth

A 400-year-old collection of William Shakespeare’s first collected works - including the first publication of Macbeth - is to go on display. (NLS / SWNS)

A 400-year-old collection of William Shakespeare’s first collected works including the first publication of Macbeth is to go on display.

The National Library in Edinburgh will display the works from Saturday as part of the Treasures of the National Library of Scotland exhibition at George IV Bridge.

Originally published seven years after Shakespeare’s death in 1616, the folio includes 36 plays – 18 of which were published for the first time, ensuring that they were able to endure the test of time.

There are only two other copies of the folio in public collections in Scotland – one is held at the University of Glasgow, and another at the Mount Stuart Trust on the Isle of Bute.

Helen Vincent, Head of Rare Books, Maps and Music at the National Library, said: “We’ve seen everyone from schoolchildren to actors to researchers fascinated by the First Folio and the stories it contains, so we’re looking forward to bringing it to a wide audience in our Treasures exhibition.”

“It will be on display for the actual birthday of the book in November – the month it was first offered for sale in 1623.

“I’m sure the people who put such effort into producing this book would love to know that 400 years later, their dedication to preserving and sharing all of Shakespeare’s plays continues to have such a profound impact on culture in all its forms.”

Many of Shakespeare’s works were never published in print during his life, putting many works in danger of becoming lost forever as time went on.

Luckily, two members of Shakespeare’s acting company gathered this collection of 36 plays, writing “We have but collected them onely to keepe the memory of so worthy a Friend and Fellow alive, as was our Shakespeare.”

The folio will be displayed alongside Robert Burns’s 1790 poem, Tam o’ Shanter and a selection of Nicolas Copernicus’s early works from 1543.

“We were delighted to display the Bute Collection’s First Folio to celebrate the 400th publication anniversary, and we also shared the wonders of Shakespeare’s work with school groups and our visitors to Mount Stuart earlier this year,” said Elizabeth Ingham, the Mount Stuart Trust’s Librarian.

“We are indebted to the people who edited, printed, and published the First Folio in 1623, who preserved the memory of Shakespeare and ensured the survival of his extraordinary plays for future generations.”