Revision and Duplication in Early Modern Plays: A Reevaluation of the “Minus” Hypothesis

Abstract

In the printed texts of early modern plays, scholars have observed a number of lines bracketed by a set of duplicate lines. In 1918, J. Dover Wilson called this type of textual error a “repetition bracket” and argued that it is evidence for the insertion of additional text. In 1930, W. W. Greg adduced pieces of evidence in early modern playhouse manuscripts in support of Wilson’s addition (or “plus”) hypothesis, but he also proposed an omission (or “minus”) hypothesis. However, Greg’s footnoted reference to a single instance in The Second Maiden’s Tragedy was his sole empirical evidence for the latter hypothesis. In this article, I examine Greg’s evidence and review fifty-one extant early modern playhouse manuscripts to argue that Greg’s omission hypothesis is untenable. Duplications in manuscripts are associated with false starts, marginal additions, or text on addition leaves. Based on thorough study of these manuscripts, I conclude that repetition brackets in early printings are a strong sign of revision and not omission. Included in an appendix is a list of all omission and addition markings in extant manuscripts.