Making Sense of Error in Commercial Drama

Abstract

This chapter examines the coexistence of error and correction in printed plays from the commercial stages in England. It proposes two textual experiences of error — announced error and silent error — and offers a case study on Edward III, a play that has often generated interest for its connection to Shakespeare. Regularly overlooked is the significance of the play’s early quarto editions (1596, 1599) in shedding light on the transmission of plays from stage to page, including the agents and processes of correction in reprint editions. By tracing how the play was prepared for publication this chapter argues that error and correction encourage readers of commercial playbooks to act as ‘authorisers’, compelled to navigate the play’s continued provisionality in print.