Edward Capell

Edward Capell

Edward Capell (June 11, 1713 – February 24, 1781), English Shakespearian critic, was born at Troston Hall (gbmappingsmall|TL901717) in Suffolk.

Through the influence of the Duke of Grafton he was appointed to the office of deputy-inspector of plays in 1737, with a salary of £200 per annum, and in 1745 he was made groom of the privy chamber through the same influence. In 1760 appeared his "Prolusions, or, Select Pieces of Ancient Poetry", a collection which included "Edward III", placed by Capell among the doubtful plays of Shakespeare.

Shocked at the inaccuracies which had crept into Sir Thomas Hanmer's edition of Shakespeare, he projected an entirely new edition, to be carefully collated with the original copies. After spending three years in collecting, and comparing scarce folio and quarto editions, he published his own edition in 10 vols 8vo (1768), with an introduction written in a style of extraordinary quaintness, which was afterwards appended to Johnson's and Steevens's editions.

Capell published the first part of his commentary, which included notes on nine plays with a glossary, in 1774. This he afterwards recalled, and the publication of the complete work, "Notes and Various Readings of Shakespeare" (1779-1783), the third volume of which bears the title of "The School of Shakespeare", was completed, under the superintendence of John Collins, in 1783, two years after the author's death. It contains the results of his unremitting labour for thirty years, and throws considerable light on the history of the times of Shakespeare, as well as on the sources from which he derived his plots.

Collins asserted that Steevens had stolen Capell's notes for his own edition, the story being that the printers had been bribed to show Steevens the sheets of Capell's edition while it was passing through the press. Besides the works already specified, he published an edition of "Antony and Cleopatra", adapted for the stage with the help of David Garrick in 1758. His edition of Shakespeare passed through many editions (1768, 1771, 1793, 1799, 1803, 1813). Capell died in the Temple on 24 February 1781.

ee also

*Shakespeare's Editors----


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Edward Capell — 52° 18′ 38″ N 0° 47′ 14″ E / 52.31049, 0.7872 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Capell — may refer to: * Edward Capell (1713 1781), English critic * Henry Capell, 1st Baron Capell (1638 1696), First Lord of the British Admiralty …   Wikipedia

  • Edward III (play) — The Reign of King Edward the Third is an Elizabethan play often attributed to William Shakespeare. It was first printed anonymously in 1596. However, since the eighteenth century, the possibility that all or part of it is the work of Shakespeare… …   Wikipedia

  • Capell — Capel Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Capel peut faire réfrence à : Côtis Capel (1915 1986), le pseudonyme littéraire d’Albert Lohier, Diego Capel (1988 ), un joueur de football… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Edward Hyde, 3rd Earl of Clarendon — (28 November 1661 – 31 March 1723), styled Viscount Cornbury between 1674 and 1709, was Governor of New York and New Jersey between 1701 and 1708, and is perhaps best known for the claims of his cross dressing while in office. Contents 1 Career 2 …   Wikipedia

  • Capell — (spr. Käpp l), Edward, geb. 1713 zu Troston in Suffolkshire; besorgte zuerst eine treue Ausgabe Shakespeares, in 10 Bdn., u. schr.: Notes[650] and various readings of Shakespeare, Lond. 1783, 3 Bde …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Edward Robert Bulwer-Lytton — Robert Lytton Pour les articles homonymes, voir Bulwer Lytton. Robert Lytton …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Capell — This interesting and long established name is of Anglo Saxon origin, and is a locational surname deriving from any one of the places called Capel in Kent and Suffolk, or from the place called Caple, in Hertfordshire. The places called Capel, one… …   Surnames reference

  • CAPELL, EDWARD —    an inspector of plays, born at Bury St. Edmunds; spent 20 years in editing the text of Shakespeare, in three vols., with notes and various readings (1713 1781) …   The Nuttall Encyclopaedia

  • De Capell Brooke Baronets — The de Capell Brooke Baronetcy, of Oakley in the County of Northampton, was a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 20 June 1803 for Richard de Capell Brooke, a bencher of the Inner Temple and for 30 years a Colonel of… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”