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Thomas Bowdler (July 11, 1754 – February 24, 1825) was an English physician who published an edition of William Shakespeare's work so that it would be considered appropriate for women and children. He similarly edited Edward Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. His expurgation was the subject of some criticism and ridicule and, through the eponym bowdlerise (or bowdlerize), his name is now associated with unwarranted censorship of literature, motion pictures and television programmes.
Biography Bowdler was born near Bath, the son of a gentleman of independent means, studied medicine at St. Andrews and at Edinburgh, where he took his degree in 1776, but did not practice, devoting himself instead to the cause of prison reform. He was a strong chess player for his day, and played a game against the best chess player of the time, François-André Danican Philidor *, who was confident enough of his superiority to Bowdler that he gave odds. The first recorded game to feature a double Rook sacrifice was played between Bowdler (white) and H. Conway at London in 1788.* In 1818, after retiring to the Isle of Wight, he published his Family Shakespeare, which had considerable success. He subsequently attempted to do the same with the works of historian Edward Gibbon, a project which was not as successful. He later settled in south Wales, where he died, and is buried at Oystermouth in Swansea. His large library, consisting of volumes collected by his ancestors Thomas Bowdler (1638-1700) and Thomas Bowdler (1661-1738), was donated to the University of Wales, Lampeter. The Family Shakespeare In Bowdler's childhood, his father had entertained his family with dramatic readings of extracts from Shakespeare. Later, Bowdler realised his father had been extemporaneously omitting or altering passages he felt unsuitable for the ears of his wife and children. Bowdler felt it would be worthwhile to present an edition which might be used in a family whose father was not a sufficiently "circumspect and judicious reader" to accomplish this expurgation himself•. In 1807 the first edition of the Family Shakespeare was published, in four duodecimo volumes, containing 24 of the plays. It was written by his sister Henrietta, but attributed to her brother until the twentieth century, since women were not expected to be able to identify anything which could give 'offence to the religious and virtuous mind.' In 1818 was published The Family Shakespeare, in Ten Volumes; in which nothing is added to the original text; but those words and expressions are omitted which cannot with propriety be read aloud in a family. Each play is preceded by an introduction where Bowdler summarises and justifies his changes to the text. By 1850, eleven editions had been printed. Bowdler was not the first to undertake such a project, and despite being considered a negative example, his efforts made it possible to teach Shakespeare to new audiences. Poet Algernon Swinburne said, "More nauseous and foolish cant was never chattered than that which would deride the memory or depreciate the merits of Bowdler. No man ever did better service to Shakespeare than the man who made it possible to put him into the hands of intelligent and imaginative children." Bowdler's commitment not to augment Shakespeare's text was in contrast to many earlier editors and performers. Nahum Tate as Poet Laureate had rewritten the tragedy of King Lear with a happy ending. David Garrick had starred in a version of Othello which he altered to make Iago the lead role, renaming the play Iago to match. In 1807, Charles Lamb and his sister Mary published Tales from Shakespeare specifically for children, with synopses of 20 of the plays, but seldom quoting the original text directly. Changes to Shakespeare Some examples of alterations make by Bowdler: Notes | ||||||||
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