G. Blakemore Evans
Encyclopedia
Gwynne Blakemore Evans was an American scholar of Elizabethan literature
best known for editing the Riverside Shakespeare
edition in 1974.
; his father, Marshall B. Evans, was a scholar of German
at Ohio State University
, and Evans graduated from that university in 1934. He then attained a master's degree
at the University of Cincinnati
in 1936. His doctorate
was received from Harvard University
in 1940.
During World War II
, Evans served at Bletchley Park
in England, a centre of Allied spying and decoding.
After the war, Evans became a professor of English literature, working at the University of Wisconsin, the University of Illinois, and finally Harvard, where he became Cabot Professor.
Evan's first book was The Plays and Poems of William Cartwright (1951), an edition of the obscure poet and playwright William Cartwright. He also edited Shakespearean Prompt-Books of the 17th Century (1960–80), a series of editions of rare promptbooks.
His Riverside Shakespeare edition was published in 1974 by Houghton Mifflin
, and became a popular edition of Shakespeare's complete works. Evans co-edited an updated version in 1997. He also edited Richard III
for the New Penguin Shakespeare and Romeo and Juliet
for the New Cambridge Shakespeare
.
Evans's last book was The Poems of Robert Parry, a study of the little-known poet Robert Parry. It was published posthumously after Evans died in 2006 aged 93.
Elizabethan literature
The term Elizabethan literature refers to the English literature produced during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I .The Elizabethan era saw a great flourishing of literature, especially in the field of drama...
best known for editing the Riverside Shakespeare
Riverside Shakespeare
The Riverside Shakespeare is a long-running series of editions of the complete works of William Shakespeare published by the Houghton Mifflin company.The first Riverside Shakespeare was edited by Richard Grant White and published in 1883 and 1901....
edition in 1974.
Biography
Evans was born in Columbus, OhioColumbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
; his father, Marshall B. Evans, was a scholar of German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
at Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
, and Evans graduated from that university in 1934. He then attained a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
at the University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
in 1936. His doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
was received from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1940.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Evans served at Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park is an estate located in the town of Bletchley, in Buckinghamshire, England, which currently houses the National Museum of Computing...
in England, a centre of Allied spying and decoding.
After the war, Evans became a professor of English literature, working at the University of Wisconsin, the University of Illinois, and finally Harvard, where he became Cabot Professor.
Evan's first book was The Plays and Poems of William Cartwright (1951), an edition of the obscure poet and playwright William Cartwright. He also edited Shakespearean Prompt-Books of the 17th Century (1960–80), a series of editions of rare promptbooks.
His Riverside Shakespeare edition was published in 1974 by Houghton Mifflin
Houghton Mifflin
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is an educational and trade publisher in the United States. Headquartered in Boston's Back Bay, it publishes textbooks, instructional technology materials, assessments, reference works, and fiction and non-fiction for both young readers and adults.-History:The company was...
, and became a popular edition of Shakespeare's complete works. Evans co-edited an updated version in 1997. He also edited Richard III
Richard III (play)
Richard III is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1591. It depicts the Machiavellian rise to power and subsequent short reign of Richard III of England. The play is grouped among the histories in the First Folio and is most often classified...
for the New Penguin Shakespeare and Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
for the New Cambridge Shakespeare
New Cambridge Shakespeare
The New Cambridge Shakespeare is a series of scholarly editions of the plays of William Shakespeare published by Cambridge University Press. The series began in 1984, publishing several new editions each year. To date, the majority of Shakespeare's plays and poems have been published in the series...
.
Evans's last book was The Poems of Robert Parry, a study of the little-known poet Robert Parry. It was published posthumously after Evans died in 2006 aged 93.