Samuel Johnson’s edition of Shakespeare was first published in 1765 with contributions by George Steevens. Steevens was also an editor of Shakespeare; his own edition came out in 1766, and he collaborated again with Johnson to produce a new edition of Shakespeare in 1773. Johnson’s edition was distinguished by the fact that he viewed the plays as something read rather than something performed, and thus gave short shrift to changes and interpolations which had accrued over the years by actors in performance and careless or ignorant printers. His edition was to be based on careful collation of the oldest and most authoritative texts and enhanced by commentaries.

This is a copy of the edition of 1778, containing additional notes and corrections by Edmund Malone, the renowned Shakespearean scholar, who was later responsible for exposing the Shakespearean forgeries of William Henry Ireland.