List of Shakespeare plays in quarto

Nineteen of William Shakespeare's plays first appeared in quarto before the publication of the First Folio in 1623, eighteen of those before his death in 1616. One play co-authored with John Fletcher, The Two Noble Kinsmen, was first published in 1634, and one play first published in the First Folio, The Taming of the Shrew, was later published in quarto. Following are listed the Shakespeare plays that appeared in quarto up to 1642 with complete title page information from each edition.

Henry VI, Part 2
Q1 1594

THE

The play known as King Henry VI, Part 2 was entered into the Stationers Register 12 March 1594 and printed that same year by Thomas Creede for Thomas Millington. As it appears in the First Folio, the play is about a third longer than the first quarto version. Most scholars agree that the 1594 version as printed is a memorial reconstruction, or bad quarto, but they are divided as to whether it is based on the full folio version or an abridged and possibly revised version of the play. STC 26099; 64 pages.

Q2 1600

THE

Q3 1619 (not dated, printed with Henry VI, Part 3 as part of Thomas Pavier's False Folio)

THE Whole Contention

Titus Andronicus
Q1 1594

THE

Q2 1600

The most lamenta-

Q3 1611

THE

Richard III
Q1 1597

THE TRAGEDY OF

Q2 1598

THE

Q3 1602

THE

Q4 1605

THE

Q5 1612

THE

Q6 1622

THE

Q7 1629

THE

Q8 1634

THE

Henry VI, Part 3
Octavo 1 1595

The true Tragedie of Richard

Q2 1600

THE

Q3 1619 (not dated, printed with Henry VI, Part 2 as part of Thomas Pavier's False Folio)

THE Whole Contention

Romeo and Juliet
Q1 1597

AN

Q2 1599

THE

Q3 1609

THE

Q4 a 1622 (not dated)

THE MOST

Q4 b 1622 (not dated)

THE MOST

Q5 1637

THE MOST

Richard II
Q1 1597

THE

Q2 1598

THE

Q3 1598

THE

Q4 a 1608

THE

Q4 b 1608

THE

Q5 1615

THE

Q6 1634

THE

Henry IV, Part 1
Quarto 0 1598

This version thought to be earlier than Q1 is known only from a single fragment in the Folger Shakespeare Library, comprising four leaves of quire C that was found in a book binding. The running headline uses the word "hystorie" instead of "historie" and line spoken by Poins in 2.2, "How the rogue roared" is given as "How the fat rogue roared".

Q1 1598

THE

Q2 1599

THE

Q3 1604

THE

Q4 1608

THE

Q5 1613

THE

Q6 1622

THE

Q7 1632

THE

Q8 1639

THE

Love's Labour's Lost
Q 1598

A

Henry IV, Part 2
Quarto a (84 pages) omits the first scene of act iii and eight other passages in quire E. Quarto b (88 pages) adds the missing first scene of act iii and resets the immediately surrounding text, adding two leaves to quire E. The title pages are identical.

Q 1600

THE

Henry V
Q1, 1600

THE

Q2, 1602

THE

Q3, 1619 (falsely dated 1608 as part of Thomas Pavier's False Folio)

THE

A Midsummer Night's Dream
Q1 1600

A

Q2 1619 (falsely dated 1600 as part of Thomas Pavier's False Folio)

A

Merchant of Venice
Q1 1600

The most excellent

Q2 1619 (falsely dated 1600 as part of Thomas Pavier's False Folio)

THE

Q3 1637

The most excellent

Much Ado About Nothing
Q 1600

Much adoe about

Merry Wives of Windsor
Q1 1602

A

Q2 1619 (publisher falsely stated as Arthur Johnson as part of Thomas Pavier's False Folio)

A

Q3 1630

THE

Hamlet
Q1 1603

THE

Q2 a 1604

THE

Q2 b 1605

THE

Q3 1611

THE

Q4 1622 (no date)

THE

Q5 1637

THE

King Lear
Q1 1608

M. William Shak-speare:

Q2 1619 (falsely dated 1608 as part of Thomas Pavier's False Folio)

M. VVilliam Shake-speare,

Troilus and Cressida
Q a 1609

THE Historie of Troylus

Q b 1609

THE

Pericles, Prince of Tyre
Q1 1609

THE LATE,

Q2 1609

THE LATE,

Q3 1611

THE LATE,

Q4a 1619 (first state as part of Thomas Pavier's False Folio)

THE LATE,

Q4b 1619 (corrected state falsely dated 1609 as part of Thomas Pavier's False Folio)

THE LATE,

Q5 1630

THE LATE,

Q6 1635

THE LATE,

Othello
Q1 1622

THE

Q2 1630

THE

 File:Othello title page.jpg|Q1 1622 File:Othello Q2 TP 1630.jpg|Q2 1630

The Taming of the Shrew
Q 1631

A WITTIE

Two Noble Kinsmen
Q 1634

{{lang|en-emodeng|italic=unset|THE | TWO | NOBLE/KINSMEN: | Presented at the Blackfriers | by the Kings Maiesties servants, | with great applause: | Written by the memorable Worthies/of their time; | Mr. John Fletcher, and} | Mr. William Shakespeare.} | Gent. | Printed at London by ''Tho. Cotes, for Iohn Waterson: {{!}} and are to be sold at the signe of the Crowne {{!}} in Pauls'' Church-yard. 1634.}}