One of the Library’s most prized works is the first folio edition of William Shakespeare’s collected plays, published in 1623, seven years after his death. The First Folio contains 36 plays, 18 of them printed for the first time. This “authorized version,” prepared by his friends and colleagues from “true originall copies,” is the prime source of our knowledge of Shakespeare’s texts. An artist with remarkable intellect, perceptiveness, and poetic power, Shakespeare applied his keen mind and genius to portray the conflicts and emotions of human beings. Each year, The Huntington hosts...