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William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare (April 26, 1564 (baptism)–d. April 23, 1616) was an English poet and playwright and is considered a key member of the English literature canon. Shakespeare's work includes 154 sonnets and 38 plays; while his earlier plays were comedies and histories, his later work focused on tragedy (e.g. "Macbeth"). Shakespeare's reputation grew after his death and especially in the 19th century when he became the world's most celebrated dramatist. Now his work is reinterpreted and performed around the world.

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Works [37 plays, 6 poems, sonnets]

The Tragedy of Macbeth

The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark

The Tragedie of Romeo and Juliet

• A Midsummer Night's Dream
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The Tragedie of Julius Cæsar

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Hamlet / Macbeth / King Lear / Othello

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Much Ado About Nothing

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The Merchant of Venice

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The Taming of the Shrew

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Twelfth Night; or, What You Will

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The Cronicle History of Henry the Fift

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Shakespeare's Sonnets

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As You Like It

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The Tragedy of King Richard the Third

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William Shakespeare: Poetry for Young People

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The Winter's Tale

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Measure for Measure

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The History of Henry the Fourth

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The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus

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The Comedy of Errors

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The Complete Sonnets and Poems

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The Norton Shakespeare: Based on the Oxford Edition (Second Edition) (Vol. Two-Volume Paperback Set)

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Romeo & Juliet

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The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare

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Order of William Shakespeare Books

William Shakespeare’s first known work is The Two Gentlemen of Verona , which dates back to 1589 and was published for the first time in 1623. Previous to that, he had written Love’s Labour’s Won , a lost play that predates 1589. His work is broken down into the categories Comedies, Poems, Histories, Tragedies and Apocrypha. Below is a list of William Shakespeare’s plays in order of when they were first officially recorded:

Publication Order of Comedy Plays

Publication order of history plays, publication order of tragedy plays, publication order of collections, publication order of anthologies.

Note: Cardenio was co-written by John Fletcher.

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Hamlet by William Shakespeare: Book Review, Summary and Analysis

Book: Hamlet  Written by William Shakespeare

The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, often shortened to Hamlet, is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Wikipedia

• Characters: Ophelia, Claudius, Polonius, Laertes, Horatio, Gertrude, MORE
• Original language: Early Modern English
• Genre: Shakespearean tragedy, Drama
• Setting: Denmark

Who is Hamlet

Hamlet is the protagonist in Shakespeare's tragedy "Hamlet".

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, is an idealist and perfectionist. The death of the father, the marriage of the mother to the uncle, and the ghost of the father telling Hamlet that he was killed by Claudius. 

Hamlet's outlook on life has changed, and his personality has become complicated and suspicious. In the end, Hamlet dies for justice in order to avenge his father, which is regrettable and regrettable.

"Hamlet" Synopsis

"Hamlet", also known as "The Prince's Revenge", "Hamlet", "Macbeth", "King Lear" and "Othello" are called Shakespeare's "four tragedies". "Hamlet" is the longest play among Shakespeare's plays, and it is also the most prestigious play. 

It has profound tragic significance and represents the highest achievement of Western Renaissance literature. The "to be or not to be" said by Hamlet in the play is even more classic among the classics.

Why Hamlet is a Masterpiece

"Hamlet" deserves to be a masterpiece, it can be a magical work, or it can be a work created by God. To put it simply, this work has been widely circulated in the world today, and it has been touched on in various fields of Western culture. If you want to learn Western culture, "Hamlet" is definitely a classic work. 

Everyone in the West Thinkers should study this book in depth because, in this book, the ideas or ideas that they want to convey are not accepted by everyone.

For example, in "Hamlet" in the book, don't be attached to your mother. From the perspective of modern people, this kind of behavior may be more or less understandable, but when Shakespeare wrote this book, if he had such an idea, it was absolutely detached. of. 

This does not belong to the simple love between men and women that we usually call, because "Hamlet" is too attached to his mother, which makes "Hamlet" become hesitant, hesitant, and even weak.

Even though later generations have remade the book "Hamlet" into a movie, the details described in the book have not been fully shown in the video. 

Reading the original work is the greatest respect for the author. Since Shakespeare was able to create such a work, his thoughts must surpass others and be more open.

What exactly does Hamlet want to reflect?

Many people read "Hamlet" but didn't really understand it, and didn't understand what the book wanted to express. It will be easier if you look at the writing background. 

When Shakespeare wrote this book, he was in the Renaissance period. What he wanted to express was the rampant bourgeoisie and the chaotic and dark age in England at that time. Relics of history.

About the Author:  William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare (April 23, 1564-April 23, 1616) was a great dramatist and poet during the European Renaissance. He was born in a small merchant family in Strasford-upon-Erwen, England. In 1587, Shakespeare left his hometown and went to London. 

At first, he worked as a horse guard for the theater and did chores in other houses, and later became an actor. Just play in the beginning. In 1593, Shakespeare's first long poem, Venus and Adonis, was published.

William Shakespeare is the most outstanding dramatist in the history of English literature, the most important and greatest writer of the European Renaissance, the master of humanist literature at that time, and the most outstanding literature in the world Home.

Born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway at the age of 18, with whom they had three children: Susannah and twins Hamnet and Judith. 

For more than 20 years from the end of the 16th century to the beginning of the 17th century, Shakespeare started a successful career in London. 

He was not only an actor and a playwright, but also one of the partners of the Chamberlain's Theater Company, which was later renamed the King's Theater Company. Shakespeare retired to Stratford-upon-Avon around 1613, where he died three years later.

The period from 1590 to 1600 was the golden age of Shakespeare's writing. His early plays were mainly comedies and historical plays, which reached their peak of depth and artistry in the late 16th century. 

From 1601 to 1608, he mainly wrote tragedies. Shakespeare advocated noble sentiments and often described sacrifice and revenge, including "Othello", "Hamlet", "King Lear" and "Macbeth", which are considered to be among the best examples in English. In the last period of his life, he began to write tragicomedies, also known as romantic dramas.

Shakespeare's handed-down works include 37 plays, 154 sonnets, and two long narrative poems. His plays have been translated into every major language and performed more often than any other playwright.

Excerpts from the original text: Hamlet

Introduction to the story of hamlet.

"Hamlet" describes the Danish prince Hamlet's revenge for his father. When the prince was studying in Germany, his father was killed by his younger brother Claudius. The murderer covered up the truth, usurped the throne, and married the king's wife; Hamlet worked hard to understand the truth in the play. 

But he fell into the metaphysical thinking of "to be or not to be", and gave up the chance of revenge. As a result, Claudius counterattacked, and he could only parry. In the sword competition, Hamlet finally awakened and bravely stabbed his enemy to death; at the same time, he was also poisoned and martyred.

"Hamlet" is a tragic work written by English playwright William Shakespeare between 1599 and 1602. The play tells that Uncle Claudius murdered Hamlet's father, usurped the throne, and married the king's widow Gertrude; Prince Hamlet avenged his uncle for his father.

"Hamlet" is the longest play among all Shakespeare's plays, and it is also Shakespeare's most famous play. It has profound tragic significance, complex characters, and rich and perfect tragic art techniques, and represents the whole of Western Renaissance literature. highest achievement. Together with "Macbeth", "King Lear" and "Othello", they form Shakespeare's "four tragedies".

"Hamlet" is Shakespeare's most famous play, and it is also the earliest, most complex, and longest of his four tragedies. In the three acts and one scene of the play, Hamlet has a monologue, which is popular both in the original text and in translation.

"Hamlet" is known as one of the four great masterpieces in Europe. Since its inception, it has been adapted many times into stage plays, operas, film and television, and other works.

William Shakespeare was an English Renaissance dramatist and poet, a master of humanist literature in the European Renaissance, and one of the founders of modern European literature. He wrote a total of 37 plays, 154 sonnets, two long poems, and other poems.

What are the main contents of Hamlet?

It mainly describes the story of Prince Hamlet of Denmark avenging his father. When the prince was studying in Germany, his father was killed by his younger brother Claudius. The murderer covered up the truth, usurped the throne, and married the king's wife; Hamlet worked hard to understand the truth in the play.

" Hamlet " is a tragic work written by English playwright William Shakespeare between 1599 and 1602. The play tells that Uncle Claudius murdered Hamlet's father, usurped the throne, and married the king's widow Gertrude; Prince Hamlet avenged his uncle for his father.

The story happened in Denmark, when Prince Hamlet's father was killed by his uncle, and his uncle married her mother, and he became the king of Denmark. These were a great blow to Prince Hamlet of Denmark. In the past, he lived a carefree life, went to college, practiced swordsmanship with friends, ate, drank, and had fun. But now his life has changed drastically.

The loving father was robbed of his life, and the state power was robbed by his cruel uncle, and her mother remarried. These bad things hit Hamlet all at once, causing him to completely collapse, and even have the idea of ​​suicide. But his fortunes change when Bernardo and Francesco discover a ghost one night on the terrace in front of the castle.

That ghost was the ghost of Hamlet's father. They observed it for two consecutive nights. On the third night, they called Horatio and found the ghost. He was Hamlet's good friend, so he decided to call this ghost Tell Hamlet. On the morning of the fourth day, he told Hamlet about it, and Hamlet was so surprised that he also decided to go and have a look.

He was a little puzzled and half-believed, so that night on the castle terrace, he really saw the ghost, and the ghost waved to him. He rushed like a ghost, and the ghost took him to the corner and told him that his father had been killed by his uncle. Venom poured into his ear.

Now the ghost needs Hamlet to avenge him. After speaking, the ghost disappeared. At this time, Horatio and Bernardo appeared. They promised Hamlet not to tell others what they heard, and then Hamlet told them about the ghost. Then Hamlet begins to prepare for revenge, and his first impression plan is to pretend to be crazy.

Makes everyone look crazy when they see him, and makes others think he is really crazy. At this time, she fell in love with Ophelia, the daughter of a flattering minister Polonius. In order to please the king, Polonius is unwilling to let Hamlet and Ophelia touch each other, so Hamlet is very angry and becomes crazier.

His two very good friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, spent his childhood with Hamlet when he was young, and these two friends, whom he thought were loyal, also fought for the king and money. , honor, betrayed him. Inquire about him for the king, and why he has gone mad. And his mother is constantly testing him. Everyone is against him.

His heart is also very safe and angry. And at this time a pair of theater troupes came and gave Hamlet a wonderful play. Hamlet told them to let them play another play. In it, Hamlet adds some fragments, which are similar to the content of the State Grid killing his father. When watching a play, look at the king's facial expression. If he is a little disturbed, it means he killed him.

He kept thinking about these things, concentrating on how to avenge the king and finally found out that it was he who killed him. After the play in the queen's bedroom, when he was talking with the queen, Polonius was entrusted by the king to hide behind the curtain and eavesdrop on their conversation. 

As a result, Hamlet thought it was the king, so he drew his sword and stabbed into the curtain.

He stabbed Polonez to death with a sword, but after opening the reply, he found out that it was Polonez, and he was very regretful. Then he fled the palace in a hurry. 

Polonez's daughter, Ophelia, went mad when she found out, sang songs without thinking at all, and finally committed suicide by jumping into the river. Her brother, Laertes, was furious when he came back from France and decided to kill Hamlet.

He is united with the king. The triple shackle trick was planned, so that Hamlet could not escape. But when the two of them implemented their plan, a tragedy happened. A poisonous sword was supposed to kill Hamlet, but it killed Hamlet and Laertes. Hamlet. When dying, a sword pierced the king's body.

The queen also drank the poisoned wine originally given to Hamlet and died. Finally, Fortinbras, who came to Danmai, saw the tragedy, took advantage of the fire, and returned Denmark to his territory.

Why is it said that "action" is the most brilliant stroke in Hamlet's life?

In fact, this scene also reflects the characteristics of Hamlet's actions. "To be or not to be" seems to have two options on the surface, but in fact Hamlet has no intention of accepting reality, giving up the mission of revenge, and living in the world. 

He is just uneasy about the unknown afterlife. Then Hamlet realizes that too much "careful thinking" will prevent him from taking decisive action, and again feels uneasy about his delay. That's why he had the behavior of attacking from behind. The second scene of the fifth act concentratedly demonstrates his power of action in contradictions.

This is the climax and the last part of the whole tragedy. First, Hamlet tells his friend Horatio how he saw through Claudius' treachery and returned to Denmark. Then write about his sword match with Laertes and the arrangements for his funeral. 

The biggest feature of Hamlet's character is the delay, but Hamlet is in action in the sword fight. It seems contradictory, but it is in line with the logic of Hamlet's character. Because fighting swords was not a strategy he took on his own initiative, when he accepted the challenge, he completely had the mentality of letting fate arrange it.

Shakespeare's description in this way reflects Hamlet's delayed character more vividly. But no matter how you say it, Hamlet finally dies with his opponent and finally completes his revenge. 

The scene of this last scene is full of horror and tragedy: Hamlet, Claudius, the queen, and Laertes all die one by one, and Polonius, Ophelia, Rosenger, etc. Lands and Guildenstern, together with the old king, made a total of nine fatalities. 

It can be said that at the end of the tragedy, Hamlet finally overcomes the fear of death and bravely sends out a final blow to evil. He is finally destroyed by evil, but he uses his actions to tell the world that the spirit of humanism The brilliant brilliance of the spirit and ideal also makes this work have a distinct critical significance.

What enlightenment significance does Hamlet's tragedy have?

The significance of the tragedy of Hamlet's image lies in From a positive perspective, his struggle reflects the historical progress of the uncompromising struggle between the humanist thinkers of the Renaissance and the declining feudal forces and is the product of the inevitable requirement of historical development.

From the perspective of summarizing experience and lessons, his tragedy stems from two aspects: First, the era he lived in was an era when feudal forces were still very strong, and the object of his struggle was the entire official court represented by Claudius. 

Hamlet uses his personal strength to compete with this powerful evil force, and a tragic fate is inevitable. In addition, as a bourgeois humanist, he doesn't believe in the masses and believes that only "poor me" can "reset the world", has been fighting alone, and in the end, he can only die with hatred. 

Secondly, the tragedy of Hamlet is also the result of the limitations of humanists' understanding of human beings under the new historical conditions at that time. He clings to the ideal of "human" in the early Renaissance, and cannot adapt to the reality that people have changed in the new historical environment. 

He uses abstract anthropological theories to solve practical problems, and tragedy is inevitable. Therefore, the tragedy of Hamlet is the tragedy of the later humanists, and also the tragedy of the anthropological theory of a specific era in the late Renaissance

Hamlet Book Summary and Analysis  

Hamlet's book review.

Hamlet (drawing sword) what! Which rat thief is it? It must be fatal, I will kill you. (Piercing the curtain with a sword) Polonius (behind) Ah! I'm dead! Ouch, queen! What have you done? I don't know Hamlet; isn't that the king? Queen, what reckless and cruel behavior! Hamlet's cruel behavior! Good mother, it's as bad as killing a king and marrying his brother. The queen killed a king! Hamlet Well, mother, that's exactly what I said. (See Polonius on the drape) Goodbye, you unlucky, careless, nosy fool! …… —— "Hamlet" Act 3, Act 4, Act  5, Act 1  

Hamlet, you prayed wrongly. Please don't pinch my head and neck; because although I am not an irritable person, it is very dangerous for my fire to break out, so don't annoy me. Let go of your hand!

Hamlet, hey, I'm willing to fight him over this subject until my eyelids stop blinking.

Hamlet, I love Ophelia; the love of forty thousand brothers, combined, is not worth my love for her. What are you willing to do for her? ——In the first scene of the fifth act of "Hamlet"

Hamlet, you are a man, give me the glass! (Compete with Horasch for the glass) Let go! God, give it to me! (Overturning the wine glass in Horasch's hand) God, if no one can expose the truth of this matter, then how much my name will be harmed! If you ever loved me, Then please sacrifice the happiness of heaven for the time being, and stay in this cold world to bear the pain and tell the world my story. —— "Hamlet" Act 5, Scene 4,

Reading Notes:  Hamlet by William Shakespeare

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Welcome to the Web's first edition of the Complete Works of William Shakespeare. This site has offered Shakespeare's plays and poetry to the Internet community since 1993.

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Macbeth - Entire Play

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Macbeth , set primarily in Scotland, mixes witchcraft, prophecy, and murder. Three “Weïrd Sisters” appear to Macbeth and his comrade Banquo after a battle and prophesy that Macbeth will be king and that the descendants of Banquo will also reign. When Macbeth arrives at his castle, he and Lady Macbeth plot to assassinate King Duncan, soon to be their guest, so that Macbeth can become king.

After Macbeth murders Duncan, the king’s two sons flee, and Macbeth is crowned. Fearing that Banquo’s descendants will, according to the Weïrd Sisters’ predictions, take over the kingdom, Macbeth has Banquo killed. At a royal banquet that evening, Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost appear covered in blood. Macbeth determines to consult the Weïrd Sisters again. They comfort him with ambiguous promises.

Another nobleman, Macduff, rides to England to join Duncan’s older son, Malcolm. Macbeth has Macduff’s wife and children murdered. Malcolm and Macduff lead an army against Macbeth, as Lady Macbeth goes mad and commits suicide.

Macbeth confronts Malcolm’s army, trusting in the Weïrd Sisters’ comforting promises. He learns that the promises are tricks, but continues to fight. Macduff kills Macbeth and Malcolm becomes Scotland’s king.

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The Best 24 Books by William Shakespeare [PDF]

* If you have doubts about how to download free books from InfoBooks, visit our guide to downloading books .

Today we bring you a compendium with the best works of William Shakespeare in English. But first, let’s know a little about the life of this wonderful writer.

William Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright and actor. He was born on April 26, 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. His father was a successful local merchant and his mother was a landowner’s daughter.

Shakespeare is considered to be the greatest writer in the English language and the most important playwright in the world. He is often called England’s national poet and is known as the Bard of Avon.

He wrote more than 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems and other verse, of which the authorship of some is uncertain. His plays have been translated into all the major living languages and are performed more frequently than those of any other playwright.

Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway at the age of 18. She was eight years his senior. They had three children: Susanna and twins Hamnet and Judith. After his marriage, information about his life is very rare. But it is believed that he spent most of his time in London writing and acting in his plays.

Between 1585 and 1592, he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer and co-owner of a playing company called Lord Chamberlain’s Men, later known as King’s Men.

By 1613, at the age of 49, he retired to Stratford, where he died three years later. Few records of Shakespeare’s private life survive. He died on April 23, 1616, at the age of 52. He died a month after signing his will, a document that begins by describing himself as «in perfect health». In his will, Shakespeare left most of his large estate to his eldest daughter, Susanna.

Shakespeare produced most of his known work between 1589 and 1613. His earliest plays were primarily comedies and histories, and these plays are still considered some of the best produced in these genres.

He then wrote mainly tragedies until about 1608, including Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth, considered some of the finest plays in the English language. In his later period, he wrote tragicomedies, also known as romances, and collaborated with other playwrights.

Shakespeare’s plays are still very popular today and are constantly studied, performed and reinterpreted in various cultural and political contexts around the world.

1) The Comedy of Errors

The Comedy of Errors is a typical twin comedy drama and very Shakespearean.

Two sets of twins are separated by an atrocious storm. Two of them end up in one place, the other two in another, and herein lies the premise of our plot. The pairs of twins meet in the same town, and the comedy begins when the wife and friends of one of the twins mistake the newly arrived brother for the first mentioned.

The same drama happens to their servant, whose twin is the servant of his master’s twin. It’s really not that complicated when you read the list of characters.

2) Titus Andronicus

Titus returns to Rome after long years of war. He has seen most of his sons die in the service of the Empire and only wants to retire. With him he brings the queen of the Goths and her children as prisoners.

It is not long before the Queen of the Goths seduces the new emperor, whose greedy ways have already caused problems for Titus and his family. Soon, Titus finds himself betrayed by the Empire he served so diligently, the Goths gradually driving him mad by killing, maiming or exiling the remnants of Titus’ family.

But the queen of the Goths is not having a good time either, as she finds herself pregnant by her malicious servant, Aaron, who has plans of his own. As she strives to avenge herself and her murdered son, she forgets that she still has two other sons she could lose.

Titus Andronicus must hand over the power of his empire to one of his sons after the war with the Goths. The new leadership is marked by extreme lust and eventual oppression of Titus’ people. Tamora, the former Goth queen, seduces the new ruler and works with her sons to drive Titus mad and ruin his family.

3) The Rape of Lucrece

The Rape of Lucrece is a narrative poem. In 509 BC, Lucrece was raped by Tarquin, the son of the king of Rome. Lucrece was the wife of a Roman aristocrat. She committed suicide and her body was paraded through the Roman Forum.

A revolt ensued and the royal family was banished. Thus began the beginnings of the Roman republic.

Shakespeare used this story as the basis for his poem.

4) The Winter's Tale

The Winter’s Tale is a play in five acts of the romantic comedy genre, written between 1610 and 1611 and performed in 1611. Its title alludes to the fantastic stories told around the fire.

It tells the story of Leontes, king of Sicily, who is married to Hermione, and both are visited by Polixenes, king of Bohemia and childhood friend of the former. Due to unfounded suspicions, Leontes believes that his wife and friend have betrayed him, and consumed by jealousy he orders Polixenes poisoned and Hermione imprisoned.

Upon being warned of the situation, Polixenes decides to flee, while Hermione gives birth to a baby girl while in prison. This play deals with the damage that jealousy can cause to families and friendships, as well as the redemption of past mistakes.

5) King John

This play by Shakespeare dramatizes the reign of John, King of England who ruled between the years 1199 and 1216. It is assumed to have been written in the mid-1590s and was published in 1623 in the First Folio.

King John , also known as The Life and Death of King John tells the story of this King going to war against the French, who demand that he relinquish the throne so that his nephew Arthur can take his place.

In the course of the 5-act plot, John has conflicts with the church, turns the nobles against him and is surrounded by various characters who come to influence him. Among these characters are his mother, Queen Eleanor and Philip the Bastard.

6) A Midsummer Night's Dream

Theseus, the Duke of Athens, is planning his wedding with Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons. He hires Philostrate to organize the spectacle of a four-day wedding festival. Egeus, a local nobleman, arrives with his daughter Hermia, as well as Lysander and Demetrius. Egeus wants Hermia to marry Demetrius, who loves her, but Hermia is in love with Lysander.

Hermia and Lysander plan to elope, and Helena, Hermia’s friend who is in love with Demetrius, tells Demetrius, and one after another, they all end up in an enchanted forest. Oberon, Titania and Puck, a particularly mischievous goblin, manage, after many humorous mistakes, to make Lysander love Hermia and Demetrius love Helena. The play ends with a collective wedding.

7) Romeo and Juliet

Romeo (Montague), who is in love with Rosaline, goes to a party to try to forget her or soothe his broken heart. At this party he meets Juliet and immediately falls in love with her. He later discovers that she is a Capulet, the rival family of the Montagues.

He decides that he loves her anyway and they confess their love to each other during the famous «balcony scene» in which they agree to marry secretly the next day.

Friar Laurence agrees to marry them to put an end to the feud between the families. Unfortunately, the feud escalates and Mercutio (Montague), a good friend of Romeo’s, ends up fighting with Tybalt (Capulet), Juliet’s cousin. Tybalt kills Mercutio, which causes Romeo to kill Tybalt in a rage. As a result, Romeo is banished from Verona.

8) The Tragedy of Julius Caesar

The city is full of great rumors and tensions. There are omens of fear in the sky, omens in the air and soothsayers weep. Caesar is popular and may be crowned emperor: Rome’s proud history as a republic would end. His jealous enemies plan to finish him off, but they need Brutus’ help to make their plot seem more noble and popular, as the people respect Brutus; he cares about democracy and the republic, and only opposes Caesar because of Rome’s great traditions, not out of jealousy.

Tensions rise and Brutus becomes one of the main conspirators. There are now so many people who know the secret that they could give themselves away at any time. Caesar becomes suspicious and may become too nervous to go out in public. Brutus wisely urges the conspirators to restraint: They should only «go after» Caesar and not «kill» his supporters, as this would lose them popular support.

9) As You Like It

«All the world’s a stage… » Duke Senior and his courtiers have been overthrown by his brother Duke Frederick, and have gone to live in the Forest of Arden. Duke Senior’s daughter Rosalind, is also banished, but the usurper’s daughter Celia (Rosalind’s cousin) accompanies her.

The court fool, Touchstone, accompanies the banished daughters into the wild forest. Orlando, the honorable son of one of the courtiers, also goes to the forest after winning a wrestling match and falling in love with Rosalind.

There he is reunited with her, disguised as a man, and all the characters live happy adventures in nature.

10) The Tempest

Prospero uses magic to conjure up a storm and torment the survivors of a shipwreck, including the king of Naples and Prospero’s treacherous brother Antonio.

Prospero’s slave Caliban plots to rid himself of his master, but Prospero’s spirit servant Ariel thwarts him. The king’s young son Ferdinand, believed dead, falls in love with Prospero’s daughter Miranda.

Their celebrations are interrupted when Prospero confronts his brother and reveals his identity as the usurped Duke of Milan. The families are reunited and all conflicts are resolved. Prospero grants Ariel her freedom and prepares to leave the island.

11) The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark

Hamlet is a story about how the ghost of a murdered king haunts the living with tragic consequences. A vengeful ghost and the murder of a brother dominate the bleak landscape of Hamlet’s Denmark.

The play begins with an encounter between young Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, and the ghost of his father. The ghost tells Hamlet that he was murdered by his brother Claudius, who then promptly married his widowed queen, Gertrude. The ghost presses Hamlet to take revenge on the man who stole his throne and his queen, and Hamlet promises to do so.

Hamlet is arguably Shakespeare’s greatest play, tragicomic, complex, and one of the best of its time. It is a psychologically gripping and morally ambivalent play that will haunt you long after its final scene ends.

12) Antony and Cleopatra

Antony, Octavius Caesar and Lepidus form a triumvirate that rules the Roman Empire; but Antony prefers to spend his free time in Egypt as consort of Queen Cleopatra rather than in Rome. News of his wife’s death, and of a revolt threatened by the young Pompey, provokes his return, to Cleopatra’s disapproval.

A meeting takes place between Caesar, Lepidus and Antony, in which they recognize the importance of maintaining their alliance. As a show of good faith, Antony agrees to marry Octavia, Caesar’s widowed sister. Cleopatra receives the news of this agreement with great anger, to the bewilderment of the messenger who brings it.

This is only the beginning of the great play Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare.

13) All's Well, that Ends Well

The son of the Countess of Roussillon, Bertram, goes to Paris to help the King of France. Helena, a lady under the countess’s protection, has fallen in love with Bertram. She plans to travel to Paris to use her medical knowledge to try to cure the king, who is ill.

Helena successfully cures the king and he rewards her by arranging her marriage to Bertram even though he does not love her. After the marriage, Bertram flees to serve the Duke of Florence in the wars to escape his new wife.

Helena returns home to live with the Countess. Bertram sends a letter to his mother, the Countess, telling her that he will never accept Helena unless she has carried his child and wears his family ring, which seems impossible since he is away in Florence.

14) Troilus and Cressida

It is believed that this play was written in 1602, being published later in 1609. If you like Greek and Trojan myths, this play is for you, as it is set during the Trojan War.

Troilus and Cressida is not a conventional tragedy, since its protagonist does not die, but it does end on a somber note due to the death of the Trojan nobleman Hector added to other events such as heartbreak.

Moreover, it has a tone that oscillates between comedy and sad melancholy, which is why it is believed that Shakespeare suffered from depression at the time of writing it. In addition to war, among its main themes are the breaking of vows and the commitment and lack of morality of some of its characters.

15) Othello

Othello is undoubtedly one of the greatest tragedies ever written. It is one of Shakespeare’s last plays, one of his best. Although originally based on a short story, Shakespeare adapted it and made it his own.

Othello is a general in the service of Venice. Iago is Othello’s friend, but then Othello promotes Michael Cassio to the position of personal lieutenant and Iago becomes incredibly jealous. Iago begins an evil and malicious campaign against the hero. Othello escapes with Desdemona, but Iago begins to plot against them. Othello is very suspicious of Desdemona.

He confides to Iago that he plans to poison Desdemona. Plots and murders ensue and Othello returns to the castle to kill his innocent wife, finally suffocating her to death. Emilia tells Othello the truth about the scheming Iago. Othello wounds Iago and then kills himself. Iago kills Emilia.

16) King Lear

King Lear decides that he will divide his kingdom into three sections and give one section to each of his daughters. To decide how much land and power each daughter will receive, Lear makes all three of them pledge their love to him. The two greediest daughters do so, lying to please Lear, but his favorite does not, so he gives everything to her other scheming daughters and their husbands.

But after the girls gain land and power, they no longer feel any affection for their father. Lear must face the terrible mistake he made in casting aside the only daughter who truly loved him.

17) Macbeth

Macbeth (or “The Scottish Play”) is no doubt familiar to almost anyone who has graduated from high school.

In William Shakespeare’s dark tragedy, Macbeth surrenders to his own «ambition». In doing so, he commits regicide, among other sins, only to be overthrown (as King Henry said, «Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown!»).

In this five-act drama, we find that superstition plays an important role (witches have a great influence on the ambitions of Macbeth and his wife). Shakespeare also spends time wooing his Elizabethan audience with the ghost story of the time. At the end, «Birnam wood marches to High Dunsinane» and Macbeth realizes he has lost everything, and «To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow» enters his little heartbeat and justice is done.

18) The Tragedie of Coriolanus

This play is a tragedy in five acts that is supposed to have been written between 1605 and 1608. It was also first published in First Folio in 1623. It is based on the life of the Roman leader Caius Marcius Coriolanus, a general of the time of the Republic.

He became known for his military exploits against the Volscians, defeating the enemy army in defense of Rome. Thanks to his success, the Senate appointed him consul, but because of his contempt for the plebeians, he failed to get the vote of the people and was banished from Rome.

In exile he allies with his old enemy and leads an assault on the city. He goes so far as to attack Rome but his mother convinces him not to do so and his new ally kills him for treason.

19) Pericles, Prince of Tyre

Pericles , the prince of Tyre, leaves his home to escape death to win a jousting contest and marry a princess.

Once he is able to return home, his family sails with him, but a storm separates them, so Pericles returns alone. Years later, Pericles finds his daughter and is reunited with the wife he thought dead.

20) Cymbeline

Also known as The Tragedie of Cymbeline or Cymbeline, King of Britain is a tragedy in 5 acts but it also features genres such as romance and comedy. Although it is unknown when the play was written, it was performed in 1611.

The plot involves the themes of jealousy and innocence, also present in other Shakespeare plays. It tells the story of Imogen/Innogen (daughter of King Cymbeline) and Leonatus who marry in secret for which Leonato is banished.

During his stay in Italy, Leonato bets with Iachimo on the fidelity and honesty of his wife, and later on being deceived by Iachimo he accuses his wife of infidelity. Faced with the situation, Imogen flees and becomes a page for the Roman army. At the same time, the queen has influenced Cymbeline to revolt against Rome and war breaks out.

21) The Two Noble Kinsmen

It is believed that this romantic tragicomedy was written jointly by William Shakespeare and John Fletcher, but since it is not included in the First Folio, there are those who believe that Shakespeare did not participate in its creation.

The Two Noble Kinsmen tells the story of Palamon and Arcite who are cousins and best friends who, after being imprisoned by the Athenians, see from the window of the dungeon in which they find themselves the princess Emilia, with whom they both fall in love and this causes a rivalry to arise between them.

Then Arcite is released and forbidden to return to Athens, which he ignores and returns in search of Emilia, while Palamon manages to escape from the dungeon thanks to the help of the jailer’s daughter. The two rivals meet and decide to end their competition for Emilia’s love by fighting in a public tournament.

22) Henry VI, Part 1

It is a play in 5 acts possibly written in 1591, also known as 1 Henry VI, and set in the life of King Henry VI of England. It is believed to have been written in collaboration with Christopher Marlowe and Thomas Nashe.

After the death of Henry V, Henry VI is still young, so the nobles rule England while fighting the French, and when Henry VI becomes king, the noble houses begin to divide and take sides between York and Lancaster.

The plot unfolds between events such as the loss of England’s French territories, the political situations that trigger the War of the Roses, and the personal disputes that tear apart the English political system. At the same time, the nobles try to find Henry a wife and do not agree on whom Henry chooses.

23) Henry VI, Part 2

Henry VI, Part 2 (often written as 2 Henry VI) is believed to have been written in 1591. It is a play in five acts considered by many critics to be the best of the Henry VI trilogy.

As the play unfolds, various events both political and from the king’s personal life are presented, such as: The conspiracy planned by Queen Margaret -Henry’s wife- together with her lover, being important to highlight that Henry decided to marry her despite the fact that the nobles did not agree with the union.

We also have the inability of the King to dissipate the disputes among his nobles, the death of his trusted advisor and the inevitability of an armed conflict by increasing tensions between York and Lancaster. This leads to a rebellion of the Duke of York where his supporters proclaim him king which forces Henry to flee.

24) Henry VI, Part 3

Henry VI, Part 3 is a play in five acts believed to have been written in 1591. It presents the aftermath and horrors of the armed conflict that began in Henry VI, Part 2, in which the nation is thrown into chaos, family ties are broken and moral codes are lost.

Among the main themes of the play is revenge, which is seen by many of the characters as the driving force to guide their decisions and carry out their actions. Arguably, revenge is the common goal of both sides of the conflict.

Another important theme that follows revenge is the quest for power, the desire for dominance and control, to the point that past conflicts become less important as each side desperately seeks victory.

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Top 10 novels inspired by Shakespeare

S hakespeare famously customised existing plots when writing his plays, and added to them an acute perception of human experience which gave them universal significance. Thwarted love, ambition, greed, jealousy, fear – if you want to write a story about a fundamental predicament, there is a Shakespeare play to fit the bill. So it's not surprising that he has inspired so many writers, from Herman Melville to Angela Carter.

He dealt in archetypes before anyone knew such things existed, and his ability to take an emotion or a situation and push it to the limit helped create a cadre of plays that have been endlessly staged – and copied. Apart from the examples below, Romeo and Juliet inspired Malorie Blackman 's Noughts & Crosses, there are references to Hamlet in Lunar Park by Bret Easton Ellis and The Tempest was the cue for The Magus by John Fowles.

But Macbeth is my favourite – a preference I apparently share with Jo Nesbo, who recently announced that his new noir crime novel would be based on the Scottish play. Its sinister magic is also the inspiration behind my historical novel Dark Aemilia.

In Jacobean times, the occult was accepted as part of everyday life, and witchcraft was both feared and sought out as a useful resource. I tried to channel some of this, and recreate the psychology of a fearful, superstitious age.

1. Moby-Dick by Herman Melville (Macbeth/King Lear)

Melville's Great American Novel draws on both Biblical and Shakespearean myths. Captain Ahab is "a grand, ungodly, god-like man … above the common" whose pursuit of the great white whale is a fable about obsession and over-reaching. Just as Macbeth and Lear subvert the natural order of things, Ahab takes on Nature in his determination to kill his prey – and his hubristic quest is doomed from the start.

2. The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey (Richard III)

Richard III gets a sympathetic makeover in Josephine Tey's 1951 whodunnit, which reads like a cross between Rear Window and Time Team. Detective Alan Grant, confined to bed after an accident, begins to take in interest in the much-maligned king after studying his portrait. Although clearly Richard III was a real person, the false picture we have of him was originally created by Shakespeare, Tey argues. He created a pantomime villain and child murderer in order to curry favour with his Tudor patron, Elizabeth I.

3. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (The Tempest)

Huxley makes numerous references to the work of Shakespeare in this dystopian novel, and the title is taken from the Tempest: "O brave new world, / That has such people in 't!" Like Caliban, John "the Savage" is an outcast, despised for his appearance, and Huxley is exploring ideas about the power of art and the nature of humanity as Shakespeare does in his haunting and, possibly, final play.

4. Cakes and Ale by W Somerset Maugham (Twelfth Night)

I discovered Maugham when I was about 14. He was out of fashion then, and is completely below the radar now. But this is a fascinating novel about literary snobbery. The portrayal of "loose woman" Rosie Driffield is sexist in modern terms, but her unapologetic hedonism is inspired by Sir Toby Belch in Twelfth Night: "Dost thou think, because thou art virtuous, there shall be no more cakes and ale?"

5. The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith (Macbeth)

Like Macbeth, Ripley wants what someone else has got. And just as Macbeth murders Duncan, Ripley bumps off golden boy Dickie Greenleaf, seeking to take his place. Then the body count rises as Ripley attempts to secure his position. This isn't a direct retelling, but the parallels are clear: Macbeth is accused of taking on "borrowed robes" and Ripley literally steals Dickie's clothes and identity. For me, the main difference between the Scottish king and the young American is that Ripley is a proper psychopath – he doesn't feel remorse.

6. The Black Prince by Iris Murdoch (Hamlet)

This is a brilliant depiction of obsessive love, though its plot is a typically convoluted Murdochian creation which is inspired by Freud and Plato as well as Hamlet. It tells the story of a twisted friendship between two writers, and features some cheekily cross-dressed sex scenes in which Julian (a young woman) dresses up as the gloomy Dane. Murdoch is strongest on the unpredictability of love, and the black comedy that can result.

7. The Dogs of War by Frederick Forsyth (Julius Caesar)

Shakespeare's exploration of violence and treachery has inspired numerous contemporary writers. Forsyth references Julius Ceasar in the title of his novel about mercenaries fighting in a fictional African republic: "Cry 'Havoc!' and let slip the dogs of war." The themes also reflect those in this brutal play: the story shows these ruthless men operate by their own code, consistent but merciless, and difficult for outsiders to understand.

8. Wise Children by Angela Carter (The Taming of the Shrew et al)

Twins, doubles and paradoxes abound in Carter's final novel, as they do in Shakespeare. The story of twins Dora and Nora Chance explores ideas about paternity and incest, and the novel is written in five chapters like the five acts in a Shakespeare play. One of the themes is "high art" versus "low art" and Carter jokily refers to Shakespeare via Kiss Me Kate, a populist adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew. I loved the audacity and sheer verve in this novel, and the way it both challenges and celebrates the Shakespeare legacy.

9. Love in Idleness by Amanda Craig (A Midsummer Night's Dream)

This is a modern reworking of A Midsummer Night's Dream set in contemporary Tuscany, which gently ridicules the chattering classes. The familiar tropes of Shakespearean comedy are all there – confusion, heartache and eventual resolution. Like Murdoch, Craig has some fun with names – my particular favourites are Theo Noble and Ellen and Ivo Sponge – as well as exposing some of the frailties and inconsistencies in our approach to love and marriage.

10. A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley (King Lear)

Smiley retells the story of King Lear in modern-day Iowa in her Pulitzer-prizewinning novel. The novel is set on a thousand-acre farm which is owned by a father and his three daughters, and told from the point of view of the oldest, Ginny. Instead of dismissing the two older daughters as wicked and grasping, as Shakespeare does, in her novel Smiley explores the family secrets that underpin the drama, and shows the significance of the land itself.

• Herman Melville
• Aldous Huxley
• Somerset Maugham
• Patricia Highsmith
• Crime fiction

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How the Soon-to-Reopen Folger Shakespeare Library Came to Be

F uture titan of industry Henry Clay Folger Jr. lived the first part of his life in Dickensian poverty. Born in Brooklyn in 1857, he used essay contests to pay for his education at Amherst College, where he hand-washed his own laundry to save money and still could not afford coal for heat. And he was a deep admirer of William Shakespeare : He recalled delight in reading the Bard’s plays and poems “far into the night” while still at Amherst. A guest lecture by 75-year-old Ralph Waldo Emerson inspired Folger to search out the author’s 1864 “Remarks at the Celebration of the Three Hundredth Anniversary of the Birth of Shakespeare,” further enflaming his passion.

Still, little about his early life indicated Folger would amass the largest collection of Shakespeareana in the world: the Folger Shakespeare Library , which has been the envy of other collectors and a lifeline to generations of Shakespeare scholars. Of all the collection’s treasures, the central jewels are the First Folios —the earliest published collection of the plays, from 1623, of which only some 235 survive, in any form.

Now, as the Washington, D.C. library reopens after an ambitious renovation and expansion, it’s bringing its First Folios out of the vault and onto display. The gathering of 82 First Folios is a historic moment, and the library’s new exhibitions give visitors a variety of ways, both digital and analog, to know the Bard better. The renovated Folger is a triumph—one that preserves and honors the best of its past while incorporating breathtaking updates and innovations.

Folger was always a collector of sorts: He saved every book he ever read and from childhood assembled meticulous scrapbooks of theater tickets and other ephemera. But he’d never owned a rare book.

A chance encounter changed all that. One day in 1889, Folger wandered into a New York City auction gallery and made an impulse purchase he could ill afford. For $107.50 (around $3,650 today), he bought a later, 1685 edition of Shakespeare’s plays, also known as a Fourth Folio. It included seven “new” plays, six of them by other authors. Folger asked if he could pay in installments. He brought the volume home to his wife, Emily, who shared his literary inclinations. They opened the binding and beheld the portrait of the author, pressed from a copper engraving of the only known portrait of Shakespeare. They turned the thick, luxurious rag paper pages, poring over the beloved words.

Henry Folger never recorded what called him into his first auction gallery on that decisive 1889 day. Little could he know that answering that mysterious call set him on the path to becoming the greatest Shakespeare collector in the world; nor that the young man who could barely afford $100 for a Fourth Folio would one day pay the highest price in the world for a book (not once but three times); nor that he would create the greatest Shakespeare library on the planet. In any case, in 1893, Folger bought his first copy of a First Folio and never looked back.

When Shakespeare died in 1616, no one—not even the playwright himself—believed that his writings would endure, nor that future generations would celebrate him as the greatest playwright-poet in the history of the English language. Plays of the period were meant to be performed, not read; they were entertainment, not literature. They were not written for all time, but for their own. Shakespeare had written five long poems, 154 sonnets and, depending on how one counts them, 37 plays. In his lifetime, only half his plays were published. The other half were in danger of extinction.

In 1623, seven years after Shakespeare’s death, two loyal friends, fellow actors and Globe Theater shareholders John Heminges and Henry Condell, collected and published all of the plays in one mammoth volume, the First Folio. Formally called Mr. William Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories & Tragedies , the First Folio is the book that preserved Shakespeare’s work for posterity, elevating the Bard to the status he enjoys today. It was the first time in history the collected plays of a single author had been printed. Without Heminges and Condell, the plays that had not been previously published—including Macbeth , The Tempest , Julius Caesar , Measure for Measure , Antony and Cleopatra , Twelfth Night and The Winter’s Tale —would have been lost.

No more than 750 copies of the First Folio were printed, a large run at the time, which signaled the editors’ confidence in the marketability of their friend’s plays. Over the last 400 years, around 500 of those copies have perished: Lost, devoured by insects or vermin, dismembered by time, or burned. Of the 235 or so surviving copies, fewer than 40 exist in coveted original condition. In October 2020, one such copy, once held at Mills College in California, sold for a record $9.9 million , making it one of the most valuable books in the world.

Henry Folger’s rise to great fortune took decades of toil. After graduating Amherst, he attended Columbia Law School at night so he could hold a full-time day job as a clerk at Charles Pratt and Company, an oil firm in Brooklyn, where he distinguished himself with an uncanny knack for facts, figures and efficiency. When that small enterprise merged with the Standard Oil Company, then the largest corporation in the world, Folger caught the eye of founder John D. Rockefeller. The richest man on the planet mentored Folger, adopting him as a trusted protégé. Their close relationship thrived on two shared passions: business and golf. Toward the end of his life, Rockefeller wrote to Folger: “I would not be outdone in appreciation of your companionship, and the delightful associations of the long years, and notably of these later years, as the ranks of the older associates are thinning out and we of the Old Guard draw closer together.”

By 1911, when Folger became president of Standard Oil Company of New York, he had already acquired an astonishing 40 First Folios before even hitting full stride as a collector. His wife, Emily, encouraged his obsession and became his canny collaborator. A fellow bardolator—one devoted to Shakespeare and his work—she had written a master’s thesis about the playwright while studying at Vassar College. Now, she advised him on all important purchases and cataloged the collection by recording bibliographic and provenance details on index cards by the thousands.

Over the next decades, Henry and Emily Folger purchased such massive quantities of Shakespeare material that they ran out of space in their modest rented home. Folger safeguarded the most precious treasures in bank vaults and crammed the rest into hundreds of crates that he secreted in storage units scattered all over New York City. As the couple branched out into collecting other rare books, plus paintings and sheet music, the storage question became more pressing still.

To preserve their collection in perpetuity, the Folgers decided to build a library in Washington, D.C. within sight of the U.S. Capitol and gift their collection to the American people and as a triumph of industry and philanthropy. When the Folger Memorial Shakespeare Library was dedicated on April 23, 1932 (the 368th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth), the Washington Post reported it was “attended by as distinguished an audience as ever gathered in Washington for any cultural reason.” Sadly, Henry Folger died in 1930 and never got to see the completed monument to his and Emily’s great passion.

By the early 2000s, it had become obvious that the library had outgrown its home and was in desperate need of more space for its ever-expanding acquisitions of books, documents, playbills, manuscripts, paintings, artifacts, tapestries, costumes, sheet music, maps, musical instruments and more.

But the historic status of the original structure made it impossible to break through the roof and rise vertically. Nor was it possible to expand the building’s footprint. That left one option: dig deep down below and build a new 12,000-square-foot wing, which includes 6,000 square feet of new exhibit space underneath the library and its lawn.

Much of the original structure remains intact. The huge reading room preserves its Elizabethan and Tudor carved woodwork, a balcony, and the dominant “Seven Ages of Man” stained-glass window; the jewel-box theater lives on as an homage to an Elizabethan playhouse; the secluded founder’s room that the Folgers designed for their own private enjoyment endures, and Henry and Emily Folger’s ashes are entombed in a niche in the old reading room.

The real action happens below street level, where an innovative new design of high ceilings, light-toned wood and LED lighting transforms underground rooms that ought to be dark and claustrophobic into airy, bright, spacious galleries. Stephen Kieran, principal architect behind the renovation, says it was a thrill to “unbury one of the nation’s great cultural assets, making the insight and wisdom of Shakespeare more physically and emotionally accessible. … We get to renovate both memory and architecture.”

In one such underground gallery, the Folger has resurrected its 82 First Folios (about one-third of all the copies in the world) from their hidden storage vaults and showcases them in what the library calls a “visible vault”—a gigantic wooden bookcase, with each Folio horizontal, spine facing out on a dedicated shelf, alongside a biography of each volume. No two copies of the First Folio are identical: Each one differs in size, binding, condition, completeness or provenance. Each tells its own story of romance, passion, obsession, neglect or discovery. Thanks to the new space and the innovative bookcase design, this is the first time a visitor can see all 82 together.

Indeed, this is the first time that so many First Folios have been assembled in one place in 400 years, when stacks of copies fresh off the press were piled high in Isaac Jaggard’s London printing shop.

Interactive light-up captions will answer questions about individual copies: Which was the most expensive one? The precious, so-called Vincent copy, acquired in 1903 for $48,732.50 ($1.7 million in today’s dollars—though its value is currently estimated at $8 million to $10 million). Which was the cheapest? The shabby Copy #64, also purchased in 1903 for $220 ($8,000 in today’s dollars).

Nearby stands a functional re-creation of a 17th-century hand-operated press that evokes the laborious process that went into typesetting and printing the First Folio. In an innovative and entirely new exhibit, visitors will be able to try their hand at digitally “setting” type: First you place it backward, and then, with the pull of a lever, you project the mirrored result onto a screen. A newly commissioned poem by former United States poet laureate Rita Dove, inscribed in marble along the pathway through the new West Garden, invites visitors to “clear [their] calendars” and enter this monument to Shakespeare.

Other new features include a Shakespeare map of the world that shows the beach where Viola was shipwrecked in Twelfth Night and the forest to which Rosalind was exiled in As You Like It .

What would Henry Folger say today, knowing that his reinvented library has flung open to the world the doors to his treasures? Quoting Cardinal Wolsey in The Life of King Henry the Eighth , Folger would likely speak the words he ordered carved into stone above an entrance to his library: “I shower a welcome on ye; Welcome all.”

No Bard Feelings

When two of Shakespeare’s friends compiled the first folio, a few plays didn’t make the cut

By Sonja Anderson

Pericles, Prince of Tyre

Pericles is one of the least-performed plays in Shakespeare’s canon. Some scholars believe Shakespeare co-wrote the play with fellow playwright George Wilkins, though Wilkins was never credited. The play’s title character spends the first two acts trying to win the hands of princesses through competitions devised by their kingly fathers, and even saves a community from famine. Once married, Pericles comes to believe his new wife has died in childbirth at sea and casts her coffin overboard—even though she’s still alive! How will they reunite?

The Two Noble Kinsmen

This collaboration between Shakespeare and playwright John Fletcher borrows plotlines from Chaucer’s “The Knight’s Tale” and follows cousins Palamon and Arcite of Thebes. Imprisoned by the Duke of Athens, the cousins espy the beautiful Emilia from their cell—and each man falls immediately in love. When Arcite is freed, he disguises himself and becomes Emilia’s servant. Thus disguised, he sets out to duel with Palamon, in a tournament organized by the Duke of Athens. Comedy and, of course, mistaken identity ensue.