Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Publication
Articles 1 - 2 of 2
Full-Text Articles in Law
Copyrighting Shakespeare: Jacob Tonson, Eighteenth Century English Copyright And The Birth Of Shakespeare Scholarship, Jeffrey M. Gaba
Copyrighting Shakespeare: Jacob Tonson, Eighteenth Century English Copyright And The Birth Of Shakespeare Scholarship, Jeffrey M. Gaba
Jeffrey M. Gaba
In 1709, Jacob Tonson, the most significant publisher of his age, purchased the “copyright” to Shakespeare. Tonson and his family over the next fifty years went on to publish some of the most significant editions of the collected works of Shakespeare, edited by the likes of Nicholas Rowe, Alexander Pope and Samuel Johnson. In many ways, the Tonsons were responsible for the growth of Shakespeare’s popularity and the critical study of his work. This article discusses the significance of copyright to the Tonsons’ publication decisions. It suggests that the Tonson copyright did not significantly “encourage” their contributions to Shakespeare scholarship. …
The Bahd Of New England: Citing Shakespeare In The First Circuit, Eugene L. Morgulis
The Bahd Of New England: Citing Shakespeare In The First Circuit, Eugene L. Morgulis
Eugene L. Morgulis
This paper explores the ways in which judges in federal and state courts within the geographical region of the First Circuit have used the works and words of William Shakespeare to enhance their opinions. It not only exhaustively catalogs the plays and quotations that judges have cited since the 19th century, but it also analyzes the ways in they are used, discusses how they add or detract from opinions, and compares the use of Shakespeare to other authors commonly cited.