Shakespeare’s First Folio

Commonly referred to as the First Folio, Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies contains 36 plays written by Shakespeare. It was published 7 years after his death. It is considered one of the most influential books ever published.

Of 750 First Folios printed only 235 remain, 82 of which are housed at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC.

In The Hesperus Prohpecy, Declan asks Embrie if they have any copies of the First Folio. She doesn’t recall, there are too many books down here to remember them all. She knows the library collection doesn’t contain much fiction, although, on the fifth level, two copies are tucked behind an atlas of moon bases. What’s locked behind glass on the first floor is even more unique, the original copies of each play, with Shakespeare’s handwritten edits, from which the First Folios were transcribed.