1685 Comedies, Histories & Tragedies by William Shakespeare

As the greatest writer of the English language, William Shakespeare needs no introduction. However, you might never have heard the name, “Shakespeare,” were it not for the collection of his plays into folios. In the early 1600’s, publishing a book in the folio format, which referred to the process of folding a single sheet of paper to make two leaves or four pages, was only used for prestigious works of literature. Shortly after his death, fellow actors in Shakespeare’s company decided to compile The Bard’s works into “Mr. William Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories & Tragedies,” which featured thirty-six plays, eighteen of which had never before been published.