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Shakespeare source materials in the Rare Books Collection
The books listed below are some of the sources used by William Shakespeare in the writing of his plays and poetry. Many of them are the actual editions that Shakespeare may have used. Others are 17th century editions of books available to Shakespeare. Please note that this is not a comprehensive list of Shakespeare's source material! The titles listed are the ones that we happen to have available in the Rare Books Collection. Other sources may be available to you in reprints or in electronic formats.
The Rare Books Collection at ZSR Library contains over 50,000 volumes dating from the 13th through the 21st centuries. To find other relevant materials, search the library catalog or contact Megan Mulder.
Books
- A mirour for magistrates: being a true chronicle historie of the vntimely falles of such vnfortunate princes and men of note as haue happened since the first entrance of Brute into this iland, vntill this our latter age. byCall Number: PR2199 .M5 1610Publication Date: London : Imprinted by Felix Kyngston, 1610."Newly enlarged with a last part, called A Winter nights Vision, being an addition of such tragedies, especially famous, as are exempted in the former historie, with a poem annexed, called Englands Eliza."
- The workes of Geffray Chaucer newly printed byCall Number: PR1850 1551wPublication Date: London : Robert Toye, ca. 1551
- Acts and monuments of matters most special and memorable, happening in the church, with a universal historie of the same byCall Number: BR1600 .F62 1641Publication Date: London : Printed for the Company of Stationers, 1641.
- Chroniques de France, d'Angleterre, d'Escoce, d'Espaigne, de Bretaigne, de Gascongne, de Flandres et lieux circunuoisins. byCall Number: D113 .F77 1514Publication Date: Paris : Guillaume Eustace, [1514]
- Hecatommithi : overo, Cento novelle byCall Number: PQ4624 .H4 1574Publication Date: Vinegia : Appresso Enea de Alaris, [1574]Main source for Othello
- Chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande byCall Number: DA130 .H73 1577Publication Date: London : Imprinted for Lucas Harrison, 1577.
- The chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland byCall Number: DA130 .H732 1587Publication Date: London, 1587.The second edition of Holinshed's Chronicles, published in 1587, was likely the one used by Shakespeare.
- The Famous Tragedy of the Rich Ievv of Malta. byCall Number: PR2666 .A1 1633Publication Date: London : Printed by I.B. for Nicholas Vavasour, 1633
- Palace of pleasure. byCall Number: PR2327 .A1 1566Publication Date: London : Thomas Marshe, 1566?Source for Romeo and Juliet, Timon of Athens, Edward III, All's Well That Ends Well
- Three comedies : The braggart soldier, The Brothers Manaechmus, The haunted house byPublication Date: New York : Harper & Row, c1969The brothers Menaechmus (Menaechmi) was the main source for Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors. Erich Segal, the translator of this edition, was author of the popular 1970s novel Love Story.
- The lives of the noble Grecians and Romanes compared together by that graue learned philosopher and historiographer, Plutarke of Chaeronea byCall Number: DE7 .P55 1579Publication Date: London : By Thomas Vautroullier and Iohn Wight, 1579."Translated out of Greeke into French by Iames Amyot, Abbot of Bellozane, Bishop of Auxerre, one of the Kings priuy counsel, and great Amner of Fraunce, and out of French into Englishe by Thomas North."
- Ovid's Metamorphosis Englished, mythologiz'd, and represented in figures. byCall Number: PA6522 .M2 S3 1632Publication Date: Oxford : Iohn Lichfield, 1632.
- The discoverie of witchcraft byCall Number: BF1565 .S4 1930Publication Date: [London] : John Rodker, 1930."The spelling ... is that of the edition of 1584."
- The Faerie Qveene : disposed into twelue bookes, Fashioning XII. Morall vertues. byCall Number: PR2358 .A1 1596Publication Date: London : Printed for VVilliam Ponsonbie, 1596.
- The Bible, that is, the Holy Scriptures conteined in the Olde and New TestamentCall Number: BS170 1599Publication Date: London : By the Deputies of Christopher Barker, 1599.Known as the Geneva Bible, this translation was the most widely read English Bible of the 16th century.
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Z. Smith Reynolds Library
Wake Forest University
Subjects: Primary Sources, Special Collections & Archives