SHAKESPEARE, William (1564-1616). Othello, The Moor of Venice. A Tragedy. London: J. Tonson, 1734. [Bound with:] Macbeth, A Tragedy... Revived at the Theatre Royal Drury-Lane, November, 1814, Under the Superintendance of S. J. Arnold. London: John Miller, 1814. 12mos. Two volumes bound in one. 96; 67, [1, blank] pp. Othello lacks the rare frontispiece. Bound in nineteenth-century full green calf over beveled boards, front board and spine ruled in gilt. THE FIRST SEPARATE EDITION OF OTHELLO (AFTER THE ALMOST UNOBTAINABLE 1622 QUARTO EDITION). Macbeth is a later theatrical edition. 

Othello was published by Tonson, who had previously had a virtual monopoly on publishing Shakespeare. However, rival printer Robert Walker began publishing cheaper editions of Shakespeare's collected plays. In response, Tonson published the first cheaply-published separate play editions. Previously, readers could only read the plays in expensive collected editions - these separate editions inadvertently "democratized" Shakespeare, making the individual plays much more accessible to the masses. 

Spine sunned to brown and with cracks and wear, joints worn, edges of boards rubbed, endleaves and text toned, title-page of Othello with tear at upper corner and restored at lower corner, a few leaves Othello with some marginal restoration, some marginal chips, tears, or worm damage; Macbeth trimmed a bit close at fore-edges with minor occasional loss, p. 41/42 with a repaired tear at center, a few creases. Good.