Richard III and Shakespeare's First Folio

Facsimile of the First Folio
Notre Dame's Rare Books and Special Collections

During the month of January 2016, my workplace, the Hesburgh Library at the University of Notre Dame, has been fortunate to have been one of the first stops in the year-long journey of Shakespeare's First Folio, on loan from the Folger Shakespeare Library.

Shakespeare's First Folio

I have been fortunate myself to have been involved in the activities surrounding the Folio's arrival, events, and viewing. The Shakespeare at Notre Dame staff have been phenomenal in their plans and just being allowed to participate in them has been one of my biggest honours, next to the Reinterment, of course.

But with thinking about Shakespeare's life and death, it naturally means his play of Richard III is never far behind in my mind.

The Tragedy of Richard the Third was included in the First Folio. It was not one of the plays that was unique to the Folio, but because it was included, it is identified as important.

At the top of this blog entry you can see a facsimile of the Folio's first page of The Tragedy of Richard the Third with the famous speech, "Now is the Winter of our Discontent, made glorious Summer by this Son of Yorke;..." No matter what you feel for Shakespeare's Richard, this speech alone is enough to give you chills, its being one of the greatest dramatic speeches in the English language.

With the fabulous book, there was also a lovely collections of costumes in the library. These came from the Shakespeare at Notre Dame collection. And what costumes were included? Costumes from the 2013 Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival's last production of Richard III!

Richard III Costume
Shakespeare at Notre Dame

I was able to find out that this fall, the Actors from the London Stage are going to perform a new production of Richard III, but this production will include a female Richard! How will they do this? Will it make sense? I guess I will have to wait and find out.

Richard III's armour
from the 2013 Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival

That doesn't look like me!