Abstract

This thesis is an examination of Pope’s editorial practices in his edition of Shakespeare’s plays. The plays chosen for detailed scrutiny are The Life and Death of King John, The Taming of the Shrew, The Life and Death of Richard the Second, Romeo and Juliet, and The Life and Death of King Lear. The variety and flexibility of Pope’s critical decisions are pointed to. It is argued that each play presented a different set of problems, eliciting from Pope a different set of answers. The case is made that Pope was far more responsive to Shakespeare, and far less restricted, than is generally allowed.