Thomas Bowdler
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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| + | Shakespeare is [[Bowdlerization |bowdlerized]] between 1807 and 1818 when ''[[The Family Shakespeare]]'' is published, expurgating "those words and expressions... which cannot with propriety be read aloud in a [[family]]." | ||
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| - | '''Thomas Bowdler''' ([[July 11]], [[1754]] – [[February 24]], [[1825]]) was an [[England|English]] [[physician]] who published an [[expurgated]] edition of [[William Shakespeare]]'s work that he considered to be more appropriate than the original for women and children. He similarly edited [[Edward Gibbon]]'s ''[[Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire]]''. His expurgation was the subject of some criticism and [[ridicule]] and, through the [[eponym]] '''''bowdlerise''''' (or '''''[[bowdlerize]]''''') , his name is now associated with [[prude|prudish]] [[censorship]] of literature, motion pictures and television programmes. | + | '''Thomas Bowdler''' (11 July 1754 – 24 February 1825) was an [[England|English]] [[physician]] who published an [[expurgated]] edition of [[William Shakespeare]]'s work that he considered to be more appropriate than the original for women and children. He similarly edited [[Edward Gibbon]]'s ''[[Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire]]''. His expurgation was the subject of some criticism and [[ridicule]] and, through the [[eponym]] '''''bowdlerise''''' (or '''''[[bowdlerize]]''''') , his name is now associated with [[prude|prudish]] [[censorship of literature]], motion pictures and television programmes. |
| ==Biography== | ==Biography== | ||
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| He was a strong [[chess]] player and once played eight recorded games against the best chess player of the time, [[François-André Danican Philidor]], who was confident enough of his superiority to Bowdler that he played with [[Chess handicap|handicaps]]. Bowdler won twice, lost three times, and [[draw (chess)|drew]] three times; Philidor was usually blindfolded and playing multiple opponents simultaneously, and sometimes started without one pawn. The first recorded game to feature a double [[Rook (chess)|rook]] [[Sacrifice (chess)|sacrifice]] was played between Bowdler (white) and [[Henry Seymour Conway|H. Conway]] at London in 1788. | He was a strong [[chess]] player and once played eight recorded games against the best chess player of the time, [[François-André Danican Philidor]], who was confident enough of his superiority to Bowdler that he played with [[Chess handicap|handicaps]]. Bowdler won twice, lost three times, and [[draw (chess)|drew]] three times; Philidor was usually blindfolded and playing multiple opponents simultaneously, and sometimes started without one pawn. The first recorded game to feature a double [[Rook (chess)|rook]] [[Sacrifice (chess)|sacrifice]] was played between Bowdler (white) and [[Henry Seymour Conway|H. Conway]] at London in 1788. | ||
| - | In 1818, after retiring to the [[Isle of Wight]], he published his ''Family Shakespeare'', which had considerable success. He subsequently attempted to do the same with the works of historian [[Edward Gibbon]], a project which was not as successful. Bowdler's edition of Gibbon's work was published posthumously in 1826. His sister [[Jane Bowdler|Jane]] was a poet and essayist, and his sister Harriet was the editor of Bowdler's publications. | + | In 1818, after retiring to the [[Isle of Wight]], he published his ''[[Family Shakespeare]]'', which had considerable success. He subsequently attempted to do the same with the works of historian [[Edward Gibbon]], a project which was not as successful. Bowdler's edition of Gibbon's work was published posthumously in 1826. His sister [[Jane Bowdler|Jane]] was a poet and essayist, and his sister Harriet was the editor of Bowdler's publications. |
| He later settled in south Wales, where he died, and is buried at [[Oystermouth]] in [[Swansea]]. His large [[library]], consisting of ([[unexpurgated]]) volumes collected by his ancestors Thomas Bowdler (1638–1700) and Thomas Bowdler (1661–1738), was donated to the [[University of Wales, Lampeter]]. | He later settled in south Wales, where he died, and is buried at [[Oystermouth]] in [[Swansea]]. His large [[library]], consisting of ([[unexpurgated]]) volumes collected by his ancestors Thomas Bowdler (1638–1700) and Thomas Bowdler (1661–1738), was donated to the [[University of Wales, Lampeter]]. | ||
| ==The ''Family Shakespeare''== | ==The ''Family Shakespeare''== | ||
| - | In 19th-century households, a popular family pastime was reading aloud from the Bible,{{Citation needed|date=February 2011}} the classics or major works of English literature. In Bowdler's childhood, his father had entertained his family with dramatic readings of extracts from Shakespeare. Later, Bowdler realised his father had been extemporaneously omitting or altering passages he felt unsuitable for the ears of his wife and children. Bowdler felt it would be worthwhile to present an edition which might be used in a family whose father was not a sufficiently "circumspect and judicious reader" to accomplish this expurgation himself. | + | :''[[Family Shakespeare]]'' |
| - | + | In [[19th-century households]], a popular family pastime was [[reading aloud]] from the [[Bible]], the classics or major works of English literature. In Bowdler's childhood, his father had entertained his family with [[dramatic reading]]s of extracts from Shakespeare. Later, Bowdler realised his father had been extemporaneously omitting or altering passages he felt unsuitable for the ears of his wife and children. Bowdler felt it would be worthwhile to present an edition which might be used in a family whose father was not a sufficiently "circumspect and judicious reader" to accomplish this expurgation himself. | |
| - | In 1807, the first edition of the ''Family Shakespeare'' was published, in four [[book size|duodecimo]] volumes, containing 24 of the plays. In 1818 was published ''The Family Shakespeare, in Ten Volumes; in which nothing is added to the original text; but those words and expressions are omitted which cannot with propriety be read aloud in a family.'' Each play is preceded by an introduction where Bowdler summarises and justifies his changes to the text. The editions were actually edited by Bowdler's sister, Harriet, rather than by Thomas. However, they were published under Thomas Bowdler's name, because a woman could not publicly admit that she understood Shakespeare's racy passages. By 1850, eleven editions had been printed. | + | |
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| - | Bowdler was not the first to undertake such a project, and despite being considered a negative example, his efforts made it more societally acceptable to teach Shakespeare to new audiences. The poet [[Algernon Charles Swinburne]] said, "More nauseous and foolish cant was never chattered than that which would deride the memory or depreciate the merits of Bowdler. No man ever did better service to Shakespeare than the man who made it possible to put him into the hands of intelligent and imaginative children." | + | |
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| - | Bowdler's commitment not to augment Shakespeare's text was in contrast to many earlier editors and performers. [[Nahum Tate]] as [[Poet Laureate]] had rewritten the [[tragedy]] of ''[[King Lear]]'' with a [[happy ending]]. In 1807, [[Charles Lamb (writer)|Charles Lamb]] and his sister [[Mary Lamb|Mary]] published ''[[Tales from Shakespeare]]'' specifically for children, with synopses of 20 of the plays, but seldom quoting the original text directly. | + | |
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| - | ===Changes to Shakespeare=== | + | |
| - | Some examples of alterations made by Bowdler's edition: | + | |
| - | * In ''[[Hamlet]]'', the death of [[Ophelia (character)|Ophelia]] was referred to as an accidental [[drowning]], omitting the suggestions that she may have intended suicide. | + | |
| - | * In ''[[Macbeth]]'', Lady Macbeth's famous cry "Out, damned spot!" was changed to "Out, crimson spot!" | + | |
| - | * "God!" as an exclamation is replaced with "Heavens!" | + | |
| - | * In ''[[Henry IV, Part 2]]'', the [[prostitute]] Doll Tearsheet is omitted entirely; the slightly more reputable Mistress Quickly is retained. | + | |
| ==Popular culture== | ==Popular culture== | ||
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Shakespeare is bowdlerized between 1807 and 1818 when The Family Shakespeare is published, expurgating "those words and expressions... which cannot with propriety be read aloud in a family." |
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Thomas Bowdler (11 July 1754 – 24 February 1825) was an English physician who published an expurgated edition of William Shakespeare's work that he considered to be more appropriate than the original for women and children. He similarly edited Edward Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. His expurgation was the subject of some criticism and ridicule and, through the eponym bowdlerise (or bowdlerize) , his name is now associated with prudish censorship of literature, motion pictures and television programmes.
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Biography
Bowdler was born near Bath, the son of a gentleman of independent means. He studied medicine at St. Andrews and at Edinburgh, where he took his degree in 1776, but did not practice, devoting himself instead to the cause of prison reform. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in May, 1781.
He was a strong chess player and once played eight recorded games against the best chess player of the time, François-André Danican Philidor, who was confident enough of his superiority to Bowdler that he played with handicaps. Bowdler won twice, lost three times, and drew three times; Philidor was usually blindfolded and playing multiple opponents simultaneously, and sometimes started without one pawn. The first recorded game to feature a double rook sacrifice was played between Bowdler (white) and H. Conway at London in 1788.
In 1818, after retiring to the Isle of Wight, he published his Family Shakespeare, which had considerable success. He subsequently attempted to do the same with the works of historian Edward Gibbon, a project which was not as successful. Bowdler's edition of Gibbon's work was published posthumously in 1826. His sister Jane was a poet and essayist, and his sister Harriet was the editor of Bowdler's publications.
He later settled in south Wales, where he died, and is buried at Oystermouth in Swansea. His large library, consisting of (unexpurgated) volumes collected by his ancestors Thomas Bowdler (1638–1700) and Thomas Bowdler (1661–1738), was donated to the University of Wales, Lampeter.
The Family Shakespeare
In 19th-century households, a popular family pastime was reading aloud from the Bible, the classics or major works of English literature. In Bowdler's childhood, his father had entertained his family with dramatic readings of extracts from Shakespeare. Later, Bowdler realised his father had been extemporaneously omitting or altering passages he felt unsuitable for the ears of his wife and children. Bowdler felt it would be worthwhile to present an edition which might be used in a family whose father was not a sufficiently "circumspect and judicious reader" to accomplish this expurgation himself.
Popular culture
- In "Thomas Pynchon's The Crying of Lot 49 chapter six Emory Bortz says, "I've been pirated, me and Wharfinger, we've been Bowdlerized in reverse or something."
- In the Moral Orel television program, Moralton's town library is named the Thomas Bowdler Library; most of the library's books are censored (Episode 2, "God's Greatest Gift")
- In the Thursday Next novels by Jasper Fforde, the Jurisfiction police who monitor the textual integrity of all books written and unwritten are constantly battling the Bowdlerisers, who attempt to erase material that they find offensive.
- In Act II of Gilbert and Sullivan's 1884 comic opera Princess Ida, Lady Psyche suggests that students at a women's university who wish to study the classics should get their editions "Bowdlerised".
Books
- The Family Shakespeare, Volume One, The Comedies, ISBN 0-923891-95-1
- The Family Shakespeare, Volume Two, The Tragedies, ISBN 0-923891-98-6
- The Family Shakespeare, Volume Three, The Histories, ISBN 0-923891-99-4
- The Family Shakspeare, in which nothing is added to the original text; but those words and expressions are omitted which cannot with propriety be read aloud in a family by Thomas Bowdler in 10 volumes, Facsimile reprint of 2nd edition, revised, in 1820, Eureka Press, 2009. ISBN 978-4-902454-16-1
See also
