Bowdler’s Day 2023: Date, History, Facts about Shakespeare

Thomas Bowdler, a physician and philanthropist who published a censored edition of Shakespeare’s works, is honoured on his birthday, July 11. Bowdler, depending on who you ask, is either a prude or a savant. Throughout his tenure, he edited Shakespeare’s famous works to make them more suitable for families. He routinely removed violence and intimacy from works of literature so that they could be read by more individuals. These versions were also less expensive than the originals. Students, avid readers, and anti-censorship advocates commemorate Bowdler’s Day.

The background of Bowdler’s Day

Thomas Bowdler was born on 11 July 1754 in Bath, United Kingdom. Bowdler, an English physician and philanthropist, is best known for his book censorship. The father of Bowdler would read the Bible and Shakespeare to Bowdler and his sisters, omitting objectionable passages. In 1807, Bowdler published a censored version of Shakespeare’s works, although it is widely believed that this volume, “The Family Shakespeare,” was edited by one of Bowdler’s sisters. Bowdler censored Shakespeare because he desired a version suitable for the entire family, including ‘virtuous females.’ In addition to editing portions of the Old Testament, Bowdler also edited Edward Gibbon’s “History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.” These editions were published a year after Bowdler’s demise, in 1826. By the 1830s, the term ‘bowdlerise’ had entered common usage. It was an insulting word that signified ‘censorship.’ But more specifically, it meant removing or modifying potentially offensive or vulgar passages from a written work.

On Bowdler’s Day, we should reflect on censorship and the significance of free expression. Despite the fact that Bowdler’s censorship irritates many readers, there are reasons to celebrate it. The publication of “The Family Shakespeare” made Shakespeare available to a broader audience. The texts became more affordable and were no longer restricted to the libraries of the wealthy.

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5 Shakespeare facts that will blow your mind

Shakespeare has contributed nearly 3,000 words to the English vocabulary.

“The Comedy of Errors” is the shortest of Shakespeare’s plays, with only 1,770 lines.

John and Mary Shakespeare, Shakespeare’s parents, were illiterate.

In fact, Shakespeare abandoned his formal education at age 14.

18-year-old William Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway. At the time, Anne Hathaway, age 26, was three months expectant.

BOWDLER’S DAY DATES