How much did Shakespeare's plays sell for?

Answer 1

Shakespeare's plays, when sold individually in Quarto format, cost about sixpence, that being the general cost of a play Quarto. The First Folio was an expensive book, costing one pound, twenty-four times more than a single play. In modern money a Quarto would have cost about four pounds, and the Folio about one hundred.

Answer 2

We know that one of Shakespeare's plays, Love's Labour's Lost, was performed at court in 1597 for Christmas. Elizabeth's Revels office acted as producers for the plays performed at court, often buying their own props and costumes and giving the actors different direction. The financial records for the Revels Office are missing for this period so it is impossible to tell what amount was paid to the players or the company, although we know that they must have been paid.

Apart from this one performance, there is nothing to indicate that the Queen had anything further to do with the Lord Chamberlain's Men or Shakespeare's plays. She certainly did not give any financial support to the Chamberlain's Men apart from paying for command performances at court.