Fantastic Editions and Where to Find Them
One of the many things I love to wax lyrical about when it comes to preparing a monologue is getting a decent edition of the play to work from! There is absolutely no point working your butt off on figuring out beats and characterisation if you’ve completely misinterpreted the text. Finding an annotated edition of the play (one with footnotes or end notes explaining the meaning of words and phrases) will prevent misunderstandings.
So, which edition should you choose? There are so many! Here’s my detailed rundown on the pros and cons of the most popular editions.
Arden Shakespeare. My favourite - lots of notes! They also have extensive introductions and additional information at the front and back of the book - but I warn you, this can be intense to read! Available for e-readers but seems to have less notes, for some reason. There are also the Arden Performance edition, which has helpful notes about rhythm, but less notes explaining meaning. I recommend checking eBay and your local secondhand bookshop (or even local library) to hunt for Arden Shakespeare secondhand. The Performance editions are available on Amazon, and for the standard Arden edition, try bookdepository.com.
Verdict: The best option if you want as much knowledge as possible or if you’re studying the play at a tertiary level.
Folger. Folger edition is popular, a little bit less overwhelming than the Arden, and used in a lot of high schools, so it’s usually pretty easy to find a copy in a local bookshop. The Folger edition for Kindle is cheap and available for most of Shakespeare’s plays. The search function is handy for bringing up info about the scene or monologue that you’re working on (including additional info in the introduction).
Verdict: A Folger Kindle edition is perfect if you need a copy ASAP and can’t find another option.
Cambridge Shakespeare / New Cambridge Shakespeare. I love the New Cambridge as a happy medium between the Arden and the Folger. This edition has a decent amount of footnotes without being overwhelming. They also have useful introductions and additional information that can be handy when preparing (info about historical characters in history plays, for example). The Oxford Shakespeare / New Oxford Shakespeare is similar to the Cambridge in quality and quantity of annotations and information. Both these editions are often available cheaply on eBay.
Verdict: A happy medium and my recommended version for actors who are new (or new-ish) to Shakespeare.
Just a reminder: support your local bookshop when you can! If they don’t have the play available, ask if they can order it in. This is only possible if you give yourself plenty of time to prepare!
If you want to know more about which edition to choose (i.e. if you want to go down the rabbit hole), check out this blog post from writer David Auerbach detailing his favourite editions of each play.
Can I use a modern translation edition?
If you’re tempted just to use a modern translation of Shakespeare like No Fear Shakespeare (where they have the modern English version in a column next to the original text) to do your prep, well… that’s ok. Sort of. Here are some Dos and Don’ts when it comes to modern translations.
Don’t
Rely on the translation completely. When you get to preparing your monologue specifically, you still need to research every word and phrase so you understand the nuances of what you’re saying.
Assume that the modern translation is complete, correct, or the ONLY interpretation of the text! Often these translations are simplified so they’re not overwhelming. Directors and scholars often disagree on the interpretation of texts, so it's useful to still do your research (i.e. watch a few different productions and read an annotated edition) to make sure you’re finding information that helps you.
Do
Use the modern translation to help you understand the meaning of the text. They’re definitely handy to use the first time you read the play, or if you’re working on a particular complex monologue.
Use the modern translation to help write your own paraphrase of the text, using your own words.
Look at the imagery in the monologue. Read through the original text and watch for figurative language. Imagery and metaphor is something that often gets lost in (modern) translation, because it’s hard to summarise - and sometimes because it’s hard to find a modern equivalent if it’s a really old-fashioned metaphor! Even if you don’t understand the original text, notice the type of words that are being used. Do they sound romantic (birds, flowers, moon and stars, etc)? Military (battles, horses, weapons, etc)? Vulgar (body parts, descriptions of rude-sounding food and drink, etc!)? This can give you a lot of info about the character and situation.
Decide what works for you. If you’re being thorough about your prep, you’ll notice the difference between different translations. This gives you the option to choose the interpretation that works for you. If you’ve done your research and can give a reason for your choice, an audition panel is not going to be put off by you making an educated decision.
BOOM. That’s the full rundown. So let me know in the comments - which is your favourite?
