William Shakespeare in Old French Translations and Illustrated

The 18th century, from La Place to Le Tourneur

Voltaire introduced Shakespeare to French readers in his Lettres philosophiques (1734). Pierre-Antoine de La Place then published Le Théâtre anglois (1745–1749, eight volumes), a mix of translation, adaptation and summary. Jean-François Ducis, who could not read English, used it for his verse adaptations performed at the Comédie-Française, beginning with Hamlet in 1769.

The first continuous translation was by Pierre Le Tourneur (or Letourneur), with the comte de Catuelan and Jean Fontaine-Malherbe: Shakespeare traduit de l'anglois, dédié au Roi, in twenty volumes from 1776. The project irritated Voltaire, who protested in a Lettre à l'Académie française read in August 1776. The twenty volumes are often found incomplete: a complete set in contemporary binding is worth waiting for.

The Romantic 19th century

Guizot and Amédée Pichot revised Le Tourneur for the Œuvres complètes de Shakspeare (Ladvocat, 1821, thirteen volumes). Stendhal then opened the debate with Racine et Shakspeare (1823–1825), and the English season at the Odéon in September 1827 inflamed the Romantics: Berlioz discovered Harriet Smithson as Ophelia there. In 1829, Vigny had Le More de Venise performed at the Comédie-Française.

The standard translation remained that of François-Victor Hugo, prepared during the family’s exile: Œuvres complètes de W. Shakespeare (Pagnerre, 1859–1866, eighteen volumes), contemporary with the fully revised version Guizot issued with Didier (1860–1862, eight volumes). His father contributed a preface and published in 1864 his essay William Shakespeare (Librairie internationale, A. Lacroix, Verboeckhoven et Cie). François-Victor’s text still served as the basis for the Théâtre complet included in the Pléiade in 1938, with a preface by André Gide.

Illustrated editions

Delacroix devoted a series of lithographs to Hamlet: thirteen plates published by Gihaut in 1843, sixteen in the 1864 edition. Chassériau etched his etchings for Othello in 1844. These suites belong as much to printmaking as to the book.

In Victorian England, wood-engraved editions proliferated, such as the Plays of Shakespeare illustrated by H. C. Selous for Cassell, issued in parts from 1863. In 1909, Hachette published A Midsummer Night’s Dream illustrated by Arthur Rackham, with forty colour plates mounted on guards and a numbered deluxe impression. In the 20th century, French bibliophiles had their own illustrated Shakespeares: Hamlet translated by Guy de Pourtalès, with wood-engravings by Raphaël Drouart (Société littéraire de France, 1923), or the Comedies translated by Suzanne Bing and Jacques Copeau, illustrated by Berthold Mahn.

What determines value

For translations, completeness is paramount: a stray Le Tourneur or François-Victor Hugo translation is worth only a fraction of the complete set. With illustrated books, assess the crispness of the plates and the impression: a numbered copy on large paper is worth markedly more than a standard edition. Prices range from a few tens of euros for an isolated 19th-century piece to several hundred for a fine, complete series or a deluxe illustrated volume.

Frequently asked questions

Which old translation of Shakespeare should I choose?

Le Tourneur for an 18th-century perspective on taste, François-Victor Hugo for reading: his more faithful text was reprinted into the 20th century. Guizot’s editions occupy an intermediate position.

Why is the name sometimes spelled « Shakspeare »?

This was a common French spelling in the 19th century, used notably by Stendhal and in Guizot’s 1821 edition. It neither indicates an error nor a counterfeit, but it matters when searching catalogues.

Do illustrated English editions hold value?

Yes, especially when complete and fresh. Major Victorian wood-engraved editions and books illustrated by Rackham or Dulac have their collectors, and a well-preserved publisher’s binding makes a clear difference in price.

Do you buy old Shakespeare editions?

Yes. The bookseller provides free estimates from photographs of old translations, complete series and illustrated books; entire libraries are also purchased.

To go further

• Our authors: all author pages in the shop.
• Victor Hugo, author of William Shakespeare and father of the translator.
• Voltaire, who introduced Shakespeare to France before turning against him.
• André Gide, translator of Hamlet and Antony and Cleopatra.
• Curmer, Hetzel, Magnin: the golden age of Romantic illustrated books.
• The Literature and original editions section.
• Sell and have your old books appraised.