Publication of Shakespeare's Sonnets

Date: May 20, 1609 • Location: Rome, Italy

Thomas Thorpe published the first copies of Shakespeare's sonnets, possibly without William Shakespeare's consent.

Thomas Thorpe was an English publisher, most famous for publishing Shakespeare's sonnets and several works by Christopher Marlowe and Ben Jonson. His publication of the sonnets has long been controversial. Nineteenth-century critics thought that he might have published the poems without Shakespeare's consent; Sidney Lee called him "predatory and irresponsible." Conversely, modern scholars Wells and Taylor assert their verdict that "Thorpe was a reputable publisher, and there is nothing intrinsically irregular about his publication."