William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare

Shakespeare is still considered the greatest writer of the English language. He was able to capture the human emotion and that is why his works have stood the test of time when many others have been forgotten. He has create passages and works that almost everyone in the world can recognize even if they don’t know Shakespeare very well because he is that well known.

William Shakespeares works:

Scholars distinguish three periods in William Shakespeares works.

The first period (roughly from 1590 to 1594), during which he wrote mainly gay comedies and dramatic histories. This is the period of optimism of William Shakespeare.

The middle period (roughly from 1600 to 1608), during which he wrote great tragedies and bitter comedies. This is the period of maturity of William Shakespeare.

The late period (roughly from 1609 to 1612), during which he wrote legendary and lyrical plays, and tragic comedies.

Tragedies

Shakespeare wrote eleven tragedies beginning with Titus and Andronicus. They include the four great tragedies, Hamlet ,Othello, Macbeth and King Lear ,the two great Roman tragedies Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra and the lyrical tragedy Romeo and Juliet.

1)Titus Andronicus first performed in 1594 (printed in 1594),
2)Romeo and Juliet 1594-95 (1597),
3)Hamlet 1600-01 (1603),
4)Julius Caesar 1600-01 (1623),
5)Troilus and Cressida 1602 (1609),
7)Othello 1604-05 (1622),
8)Antony and Cleopatra 1606-07 (1623),
8)King Lear 1606 (1608),
9)Coriolanus 1607-08 (1623), derived from Plutarch
10)Timon of Athens 1607-08 (1623), and
11)Macbeth 1611-1612 (1623).

Histories

Shakespeare history plays can be divided into two types -those dealing with English history and those dealing with Roman history.

12)King Henry VI Part 1 1592 (printed in 1594);
13)King Henry VI Part 2 1592-93 (1594);
14)King Henry VI Part 3 1592-93 (1623);
15)King John 1596-97 (1623);
16)King Henry IV Part 1 1597-98 (1598);
17)King Henry IV Part 2 1597-98 (1600);
18) Henry V 1598-99 (1600);
19)Richard II 1600-01 (1597);
20)Richard III 1601 (1597); and
21)King Henry VIII 1612-13 (1623)

Comedies

Shakespeare's dramatic work start with Love's Labours Lost, a comedy. He wrote all of his comedy by the year 1600.

22)Taming of the Shrew first performed 1593-94 (1623),
23)Comedy of Errors 1594 (1623),
24)Two Gentlemen of Verona 1594-95 (1623),
25)Love's Labour's Lost 1594-95 (1598),
26)Midsummer Night's Dream 1595-96 (1600),
27)Merchant of Venice 1596-1597 (1600),
28)Much Ado About Nothing 1598-1599 (1600),
29)As You Like It 1599-00 (1623),
30)Merry Wives of Windsor 1600-01 (1602),
31)Twelfth Night 1602 (1623),
32)All's Well That Ends Well 1602-03 (1623),
33)Measure for Measure 1604 (1623),
34)Pericles, Prince of Tyre 1608-09 (1609).

Romances:

The plays of Shakespeare's final period (1608-12) are called Romances. In Shakespeare's time they were simply classified as tragedies or comedies.

35)Tempest (1611),
36)Cymbeline 1611-12 (1623),
37)Winter's Tale 1611-12 (1623).