Answer Happy

Editors are responsible for adding notes and glosses to their editions of Shakespeare's plays to help readers better understand the text by defining unfamiliar words, explaining unfamiliar concepts, and providing historical background. Many editions include notes at the bottom of the page underneath the text, or on a facing page, and some editions included "glosses" short definitions or synonyms for unfamiliar words, in a separate column alongside the text. Take a look at these pages from two recent editions of King Lear. In your response, discuss the similarities and differences you notice between these two editors' use of notes and glosses. Which edition seems to you to be most helpful to readers? Why? Do you agree with the editors' approaches? Should different information be included? Have they offered too much information? Too little? Have they included notes or glosses that should have been omitted? Should they have included notes or glosses that are not here?