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The first printing of one of William Shakespeare's greatest plays, from the First Folio publication of his works. It has been speculated that Shakespeare may have written Julius Caesar to be the first of his plays to take the stage at his acting company’s new Globe theater in 1599. At this important point in his career as a playwright, Shakespeare turned to a key event in Roman history. The story of Caesar’s death at the hands of his friends and fellow politicians was a popular and much-debated subject during the Renaissance, and Shakespeare's masterful dramatization has greatly contributed to its continued relevance in today's consciousness. Shakespeare's First Folio is among the rarest, the most desirable and, to-date, perhaps the most expensive printed work in the English language. The last substantially complete copy to exchange hands sold for $6.5 million. For most collectors and scholars, complete individual plays such as this one offer the only opportunity to own one of the icons of English literature.