In 1623, seven years after William Shakespeare's death, two of his fellow actors, John Heminge and Henry Condell, published 'Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies.' Known today as the 'First Folio,' this book is one of the most important literary publications in history. Without it, 18 of Shakespeare's plays—including 'Macbeth,' 'The Tempest,' 'Julius Caesar,' and 'As You Like It'—might have been lost forever, as they had never been printed before. The Folio grouped the plays into the categories of Comedy, History, and Tragedy, a classification we still use today. Only about 750 copies were originally printed, and of those, only 235 are known to exist today. In 2020, a copy of the First Folio sold for nearly $10 million at auction. Its existence ensured that Shakespeare's genius would be preserved for future generations, transforming him from a popular playwright of his time into a global literary icon.