08-20-2008, 05:37 PM
There are several versions of the text: firstly, there are the Quarto of 1608 and the Folio of 1623, which are more different than other plays are between these two sources. Then there is the conflated text which mashes the two of them up together.
Anyway, does anybody happen to have an opinion of the relative merits of one over the others? Or even ideas about parts that only appear in either Q or F and are particularly worth keeping (or dropping) for a performance? I ask because a friend of mine is planning to direct it and hasn't yet decided what edits she wants to make to the text.
For my part, I'm not very familiar with the Quarto version - or even the conflated; I have seen a few movies that used one of those two, and I once read the conflated version, though that was quite some time back. However, I'm much more familiar with the Folio, since I actually acted in it (five years ago, sure, but a few months of rehearsals and it kind of sticks ;) ). I have some idea that the Folio flows best, dramatically speaking, but I have also been given to understand that some things of the Quarto (like the mock-trial scene of 3.6) are quite dramatically significant.
So, what are your preferences?
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