Assigning Cutters to Shakespeare plays, essays, criticism, etc.
Prepared by:
Peter Gulewich, Bibliographic Division; rev. Rex Dotson, Database
Management
Date issued: May 15, 2003; rev. July 2, 2003
Effective Date: July 2, 2003
To:
Bibliographic Division, Database Management, Technical
Processing, Art and Literature

GENERAL POLICY
 All new Shakespeare materials are being assigned Dewey or “B”
classification.
 822.33 is the Dewey number used for Shakespeare both as author and as
subject (e.g. criticism of plays, etc.)
 The old “S” classification is used only for ADDED COPIES of plays, poems,
criticism, etc. that already have the “S” classification.

NEW
play:
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
EDITION (or any edition not previously cataloged for DPL) of an individual
Use 822.33 Dewey number.
DO NOT CUTTER to Shakespeare’s name found in the 100 field.
Cutter to the title of the play according to the following list, then double
cutter to the editor (or publisher if no editor is given).
For a collection of plays that does not include the name of any particular play
in the title or subtitle (e.g., 245 00 #a William Shakespeare : #b the later
plays) cutter to the title of the collection, then double cutter to the editor (or
publisher if no editor is given).
If the title of a collection includes the names of 1 or more plays, (e.g., 245 00
#a Julius Caesar, Titus Andronicus : #b and other Roman plays) cutter to the
named or first named play, using the following list, then double cutter to the
editor (or publisher if no editor is given).
ADAPTATIONS of Shakespeare’s plays by other authors:
 Use 822.33 Dewey number.
 If adaptation is of a single play, cutter to the title of the play according to
the following list, then double cutter to the author of the adaptation (if no 100
field with a personal author, cutter to the editor; cutter to publisher if no
author or editor given).
 For collections of more than one adaptation by the same author, cutter to
the author followed by the title letter of the collection (i.e., standard cuttering
practice) if no particular play is named in the title or subtitle of the collection.
 For collections of more than one adaptation not under personal author main
entry, cutter to the title of the collection (if title or subtitle does not include a
named play), then double cutter to the editor or publisher as appropriate.
 If the title of a collection of adaptations includes the names of 1 or more
plays, (e.g., 245 00 #a Hamlet and other tales from Shakespeare) cutter to
the named or first named play, using the following list, then double cutter to
the author, editor, or publisher as appropriate.
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
ESSAYS, CRITICISM, ETC. of INDIVIDUAL plays:
 Cutter to the title of the play (using the following list) then double cutter to
the main entry (author or title as appropriate).

ESSAYS, CRITICISM, ETC. of MORE THAN ONE play:
 Follow our standard practice and cutter to the main entry (i.e., do not double
cutter) if the title/subtitle does not include a named play.
 If the title includes the names of 1 or more plays, cutter to the named or first
named play (using the following list), then double cutter to the main entry.

SHAKESPEAREAN THEMES AND TOPICS:
 Follow our standard cuttering practice for works discussing other
Shakespearean themes, including stagecraft, authorship controversies,
psychological aspects, original sources, philosophy, etc.

“B” CLASSIFICATION:
 Apply standard cuttering practice to biographical works classed in “B”

SHAKESPEARE’S POETRY:
 Apply standard cuttering practice to works of or about Shakespeare’s poetry
(e.g., sonnets) classed in 821.3.

CUTTER TO “SHAKESPEARE”?:
 NEVER cutter or double cutter using Shakespeare’s name found in a 100, 600,
or 700 field. The number 822.33 already tells us that an item is by or about
Shakespeare.
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Cutter numbers for individual plays
A2
All’s well that ends well
M5 Merchant of Venice
A4
Anthony & Cleopatra
M7 Merry wives of Windsor
A6
As you like it
M8 Midsummer night’s dream
C2
Comedy of errors
M9 Much ado about nothing
C4
Coriolanus
O2 Othello
C6
Cymbeline
E2
Edward III (attributed to Shakespeare)
P2 Pericles
H2
Hamlet
R2 Richard II
H4
Henry IV
R3 Richard III
H5
Henry V
R4 Romeo & Juliet
H6
Henry VI
T2 Taming of the shrew
H8
Henry VIII
T3 Tempest
J2
Julius Caesar
T5 Timon of Athens
K2
King John
K4
King Lear
L2
Love’s labour lost
T6 Titus Andronicus
T7 Troilus & Cressida
T8 Twelfth night
M2
Macbeth
T9 Two gentlemen of Verona
M4
Measure for measure
W2 Winter’s tale
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