Williame Shakespeare

8/3/2019 Williame Shakespeare

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There is no doubt that Mr Shakespeare is the greatest writer of modern English to date his

plays have been made into movies, his sonnets have appeared in books and music, and his

works translated in to hundreds of different languages. His contribution to the English language

is probably larger than that of anyone else. If you have not read all of the plays below, you

should certainly try I definitely will be [JFrater].

10

Othello, The Moor of Venice

This tragedy is believed to have been written in approximately 1603. The work revolves around

four central characters: Othello, his wife Desdemona, his lieutenant Cassio and his trusted

advisor Iago. Attesting to its enduring popularity, the play appeared in seven editions between

1622 and 1705. Because of its varied themes racism, love, jealousy and betrayal it remains

relevant to the present day and is often performed in professional and community theatres

alike. The play has also been the basis for numerous operatic, film and literary adaptations.



9

The Taming of the Shrew

This comedy is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1594. The play begins with a

framing device in which a drunkard is deceived into thinking he is a nobleman who then

watches the play itself, which depicts a nobleman, Petruchio, who marries an outspoken,

intelligent and bad-tempered shrew named Katherine. Petruchio manipulates and tames her

until she is obedient to his will. The main subplot features the courting of Katherines more

conventional sister Bianca by numerous suitors. The content has become the subject of

considerable controversy. The play has been adapted numerous times for opera, stage, screen

and musical theatre.



8

Twelfth Night or What You Will

This play is named after the Twelfth Night holiday of the Christmas season. It was written

around 1601 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. Like many of Shakespeares comedies,

this one centers on mistaken identity. The leading character, Viola, is shipwrecked on the

shores of Illyria during the opening scenes. She loses contact with her twin brother, Sebastian,

whom she believes dead. Posing as a man and masquerading as a young page under the name

Cesario, she enters the service of Duke Orsino. Orsino is in love with the bereaved Lady Olivia,

whose brother has recently died and decides to use Cesario as an intermediary. Olivia,

believing Viola to be a man, falls in love with this handsome and eloquent messenger. Viola, in

turn, has fallen in love with the Duke, who also believes Viola is a man and who regards her as

his confidant.



7

Julius Caesar

This tragedy is believed to have been written in 1599. It portrays the conspiracy against the

Roman dictator of the same name, his assassination and its aftermath. It is one of several

Roman plays that Shakespeare wrote, based on true events from Roman history, which also

include Coriolanus and Anthony and Cleopatra. Although the title of the play is Julius

Caesar, Caesar is not the central character in its action; he appears in only three scenes and is

killed at the beginning of the third act. The protagonist of the play is Marcus Brutus and the

central psychological drama is his struggle between the conflicting demands of honor,

patriotism and friendship. The play reflected the general anxiety of England over succession of

leadership. At the time of its creation and first performance, Queen Elizabeth, a strong ruler,

was elderly and had refused to name a successor, leading to worries that a civil war similar to

that of Rome might break out after her death.



6

Richard III

The play is an unflattering depiction of the short reign of Richard III of England and is believed

to have been written in approximately 1591. The play is sometimes classified as a tragedy (as in

the earliest quarto); but it more correctly belongs to the histories, as classified in the First Folio.

It picks up the story from Henry VI, Part III and concludes the historical series that stretches

back to Richard II. After Hamlet it is Shakespeares second longest play and is the longest of the

First Folio, whose version of Hamlet is shorter than the Quarto version. The length is generally

seen as a drawback, for which reason it is rarely performed unabridged. It is often shortened by

cutting peripheral characters.



5

Macbeth

This is among the best-known of Shakespeares plays and is his shortest tragedy, believed to

have been written between 1603 and 1606. It is frequently performed at both amateur and

professional levels and has been adapted for opera, film, books, stage and screen. Often

regarded as archetypal, the play tells of the dangers of the lust for power and the betrayal of

friends. For the plot Shakespeare drew loosely on the historical account of King Macbeth of

Scotland by Raphael Holinshed and that by the Scottish philosopher Hector Boece. There are

many superstitions centred on the belief the play is somehow cursed and many actors willnot mention the name of the play aloud, referring to it instead as The Scottish Play.



4

Midsummer Nights Dream

This romantic comedy was written sometime in the 1590 s and portrays the adventures of four

young Athenian lovers; a group of amateur actors; their interactions with the Duke and Duchess

of Athens, Theseus and Hippolyta; and with the fairies who inhabit a moonlit forest. The play is

one of Shakespeares most popular works for the stage and is widely performed across the

world.



3

Henry V

Believed to be written in 1599, its based on the life of King Henry V of England and focuses on

events immediately before and after the Battle of Agincourt during the Hundred Years War.

The play is the final part of a tetralogy, preceded by Richard II, Henry IV, Part 1 and Henry

IV, Part 2. The original audiences would thus have already been familiar with the title

character, who was depicted in the Henry IV plays as a wild, undisciplined lad known as

Prince Hal. In Henry V, the young prince has become a mature man and embarks on an

attempted conquest of France.



2

Romeo and Juliet

This play is an early tragedy (and likely Shakespeares first) about two teenage star-crossd

lovers whose untimely deaths ultimately unite their feuding households. The play has been

highly praised by literary critics for its language and dramatic effect. It was among

Shakespeares most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with Hamlet is one of his

most frequently performed plays. Its influence is still seen today, with the two main characters

being widely represented as archetypal young lovers. This is the singularly greatest romanceever written and has been continuously adapted to each generation in musicals, cinema and

the theatre.



1

Hamlet

Written between 1599 and 1601, this play is set in Denmark and recounts how Prince Hamlet

exacts revenge on his uncle Claudius, who murdered the King, takes the throne and marries

Hamlets mother. The play vividly charts the course of real and feigned madness from

overwhelming grief to seething rage and explores themes of treachery, revenge, incest and

moral corruption. Hamlet is Shakespeares longest play and among the most powerful and

influential tragedies in the English language. During his lifetime the play was one of Shakespeares most popular works and it still ranks high among his most-performed, topping,

for example, the Royal Shakespeare Companys list since 1879. It has inspired writers from

Goethe and Dickens to Joyce and Murdoch and has been described as the worlds most filmed

story after Cinderella. The title role was almost certainly created for Richard Burbage, the

leading tragedian of Shakespeares time. Its arguably the greatest drama ever written and in

the four hundred years since, it has been played by the greatest actors and sometimes

actresses, of each successive age.

Williame Shakespeare

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