More than 400 years later, rare Shakespeare Folio discovered in a northern France library.
The history of literature just got richer, an extremely rare Shakespeare First Folio has been discovered at a library in Saint-Omer close to Calais in northern France. According to reports, the folio has laid untouched for 200 years in the library.
The discovery holds supreme importance in the world of literature as only 233 out of the 800 that were printed have survived the test of time. The folios are a compilation of the literary genius’ work and are the sole source for almost 18 of his works, including plays like Macbeth.
Professor Eric Rasmussen of the University of Nevada expressed his excitement over the find while speaking to the New York Times, “This is huge,” he told the New York Times. “First folios don’t turn up very often, and when they do, it’s usually a really chewed up, uninteresting copy. But this one is magnificent.”
Moreover, the folio is a collection of 36 Shakespearean plays and was originally printed in 1623 (seven years after his death).
The folio is a literary legacy and has handwritten notes by Shakespeare, this will shed light on how plays were performed back then and also give the world insight about what exactly was Shakespeare’s relationship with the Catholic faith.
What adds to the rare aspect of these folios is that such a find is only stumbled upon every once in ten years, once these copies are found, they are scrutinized by scholars who verify its authenticity.
