William shakespeare 62936 1920

Shakespeare's Most Important Works

  • Period: to

    "The Two Gentlemen of Verona"

    The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Valentine, a young gentleman of Verona about to depart on a voyage to Milan, is unable to persuade his intimate friend, Proteus, to leave his beloved Julia and accompany him on his journey.
  • Period: to

    The Comedy of Errors

    The Comedy of Errors is believed to be one of Shakespeare's earlier written plays; a humourous comedy about separated family and mistaken identity. The play begins with Aegeon telling his story. Thirty-three years before the play begins Aegeon, a merchant of Syracuse, became the father of twin boys.
  • Period: to

    King John

    King John has been betrayed by his nephew, Arthur who, backed by the French King, is conducting a rebellion. The King of France demands that he surrender his throne but, instead, John sends a force against the him under Philip Faulconbridge.
  • "Venus and Adonis"

    "Venus and Adonis"
    Adonis is a young man renowned for his incredible beauty. However, he is not interested at all in love; he only wants to go hunting. Venus is the goddess of love. When she sees Adonis, she falls in love with him, and comes down to earth, where she encounters him setting out on a hunt.
  • Richard III

    Richard III
    Richard, Duke of Gloucester, is determined to gain the crown of England from his brother, the Yorkist King Edward IV. He woos the widow, Lady Ann at the funeral of her father-in-law, King Henry VI. She yields to his advances and marries him.
  • Period: to

    "The Taming of the Shrew"

    A wealthy Padua merchant, Baptista, has two daughters. One day Lucentio, a student, comes to Padua, sees Bianca, the younger sister, and falls madly in love with her.
  • Romeo and Juliet

    Romeo and Juliet
    Romeo and Juliet Summary. An age-old vendetta between two powerful families erupts into bloodshed. A group of masked Montagues risk further conflict by gatecrashing a Capulet party. A young lovesick Romeo Montague falls instantly in love with Juliet Capulet, who is due to marry her father's choice, the County Paris.
  • Julious Caesar

    Julious Caesar
    Jealous conspirators convince Caesar's friend Brutus to join their assassination plot against Caesar. To stop Caesar from gaining too much power, Brutus and the conspirators kill him on the Ides of March.
  • Hamlet

    Hamlet
    Prince Hamlet has been summoned home to Denmark to attend his father's funeral. One night, a Ghost reveals itself to Hamlet, claiming to be the ghost of Hamlet's father, the former king. The Ghost claims that the old king was murdered by Hamlet's uncle, Claudius, who has since married Hamlet's mother and assumed the throne. Hamlet decides to uncover the truth for himself. He makes himself appear crazy, mistreating his girlfriend Ophelia to deflect Claudius' suspicion.
  • King Lear

    King Lear
    Lear, King of Britain, in an attempt to avoid future strife, divides his kingdom between his three daughters. His eldest two, Regan (wife of Cornwall) and Gonerill (wife of Albany), respond to his request for a show of love, but Cordelia is unable to, not wanting to be hypocritical.
  • Macbeth

    Macbeth
    A brave Scottish general named Macbeth receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders King Duncan and takes the Scottish throne for himself.
  • The Tempest

    The Tempest
    The Tempest is a play about magic, betrayal, love and forgiveness. It is set on an island somewhere near Italy where Prospero, the one-time Duke of Milan, and his beautiful daughter, Miranda, live with a sprite called Ariel and a strange wildman called Caliban.