Thomas Bowdler

Thomas Bowdler ( born July 11, 1754 near Bath, † February 24, 1825 in Wales ) was an English physician who published an adjusted according to moral censorship criteria Edition of the Works of William Shakespeare. This approach called among contemporaries forth considerable criticism and amusement. Since then the term to bowdlerise input in the English language has been found, so a prudish form of media censorship is meant.

Life

Bowdler grew up the son of a wealthy father, and studied medicine at the University of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh. After completing his studies in 1776 he renounced but to practice it and instead devoted himself to the cause of prison reform.

It is believed that he is identical with Dr. Bowdler, a strong English chess player of the 1780s. From Bowdler particular eight games have been preserved, which he fought out against the most famous chess masters of the 18th century, François -André Philidor Danican. Philidor played these games under Bauer default or simultaneously blind against two or three opponents. Bowdler won two of those games, lost three, reaching three times a draw. In a traditional game against Conway in 1788 Bowdler succeeded for the first time a combination with a double rook sacrifice.

In 1818, after Bowdler had retired to the Isle of Wight, he published the edition of the Family Shakespeare, which experienced a significant sales success. He then took less success with the publication of the works of the historian Edward Gibbon.

His last years were spent Bowdler in southern Wales where he also died. His large library, some of which was composed of stocks of his ancestors, he bequeathed a Welsh university.

The Shakespeare edition

Bowdler had come to the conviction that an adjusted under " family-friendly " criteria version will make available to a wider audience the work of Shakespeare. In 1807, a first version of which was published in four volumes, containing 24 plays. The editorial work was his sister Henrietta done, but this was probably not named for reasons of piety. This was followed by 1818, the ten -volume edition of "The Family Shakespeare", which was provided with the note that "those words and expressions are omitted which can not be read aloud in a family propriety ". Each play was provided with an introduction in which Bowdler summarizing the text interventions and explained. By 1850, eleven editions were printed.

For all the criticism, which causes the process from today's perspective, it must be remembered that even before Bowdler similar arrangements had occurred. Ultimately Edition fulfilled the purpose of removing obstacles to the study and to develop the Shakespeare works an extended readership especially among young people. Expressly waived its Bowdler issue on adding new text, what are former editor of Shakespeare were not deterred.