Many scholars are puzzled about who created the seventeenth-century abridgment of Shakespeare’s Hamlet contained in the First Quarto. Two facts about the work shed light on this question. First, the person who undertook the abridgment clearly did not possess a copy of Hamlet. Second, the abridgment contains a very accurate rendering of the speeches of one of the characters, but a slipshod handling of all the other parts.
Summary
Some scholars are questioning who created the seventeenth-century abridgment of Hamlet. The person who undertook the abridgment did not possess a copy of Hamlet. The abridgment accurately renders the speeches of only one of the characters, and a poor rendering of all other parts.
Strongly Supported Conclusions
The abridgment was likely produced by an actor that played a single character’s role in Hamlet.
A
The abridgment was prepared by Shakespeare.
The facts we’re given about the abridgment do not support the idea that it was produced by Shakespeare.
B
The abridgment was created to make Hamlet easier to produce on stage.
We don’t know why the abridgment was created. The question the scholars are attempting to answer is who created the abridgment.
C
The abridgment was produced by an actor who had played a role in Hamlet.
If the facts about the abridgment are true, it fits that the abridgment was produced by an actor. An actor is likely to both not have a full copy of the play and only accurate memory of one of the character’s roles.
D
The abridgement was prepared by a spectator of a performance of Hamlet.
A spectator is unlikely to have produced an accurate rendering of one of the character’s speeches.
E
The abridgment was produced by an actor who was trying to improve the play.
Hamlet would not be improved by having an accurate rendering of one of the character’s roles and a poor rendering of all of the other character’s roles.