Shakespeare's plays
| Title | Year written | First publications | Performances | Authorship notes |
| Antony and Cleopatra | 1601–1608 | First published in the First Folio | Believed to have been performed between ... | |
| Antony and Cleopatra | In a setting soon after Julius Caesar, M ... | In a setting soon after Julius Caesar, M ... | In a setting soon after Julius Caesar, M ... | In a setting soon after Julius Caesar, M ... |
| Coriolanus | 1605–1608 (believed) | First published in the First Folio | No recorded performances prior to the Re ... | |
| Coriolanus | The Roman military leader Caius Martius, ... | The Roman military leader Caius Martius, ... | The Roman military leader Caius Martius, ... | The Roman military leader Caius Martius, ... |
What did Shakespeare publish first?
The First Folio is the first collected edition of William Shakespeare's plays, collated and published in 1623, seven years after his death....What's special about this copy?Full title:Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & TragediesPublished:1623LocationsLondonFormat:Book, Folio6 more rows
When was Shakespeare's first published?
1593Shakespeare published two long poems, among his earliest successes: Venus and Adonis in 1593 and The Rape of Lucrece in 1594. These poems were dedicated to his patron the Earl of Southampton. Venus and Adonis was Shakespeare's first-published work.
What is the first thing Shakespeare wrote?
What is Shakespeare's earliest play? His earliest play is probably one of the three parts of King Henry VI (Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3), written between 1589–1591. What is Shakespeare's last play? His last play is probably The Two Noble Kinsmen, which Shakespeare co-wrote with John Fletcher around 1613.
What was published first Shakespeare's plays or his poems?
Shakespeare's earliest publication, and by far the best-selling work in his lifetime, was the nearly 1200-line poem Venus and Adonis (1593), published in 10 editions between 1594 and 1602.
Who first published Shakespeare's sonnets?
Thomas ThorpeShakespeare's sonnetsThorpe edition of the sonnets (1609)AuthorWilliam ShakespeareGenreRenaissance poetryPublisherThomas ThorpePublication date16093 more rows
Are Romeo and Juliet real?
The story is, indeed, based on the life of two real lovers who lived and died for each other in Verona, Italy in 1303. Shakespeare is known to have discovered this tragic love story in Arthur Brooke's 1562 poem entitled “The Tragical History of Romeo and Juliet”.
Was Macbeth or Hamlet written first?
With 4,042 lines and 29,551 words, Hamlet is the longest Shakespearean play (based on the first edition of The Riverside Shakespeare (1974))....The Chronology of Shakespeare's Plays.First PerformedPlaysFirst Printed1605-06Macbeth16231606-07Antony and Cleopatra16231607-08Coriolanus162336 more rows•Jan 21, 2022
What words did Shakespeare invent?
Words Shakespeare Inventedacademeaccusedamazementbeachedbesmirchbloodstainedbarefacedblushingbuzzercakedcatercold-bloodedcompromisecourtshipdauntless16 more rows
When did Shakespeare write his first sonnet?
This sonnet form and rhyme scheme is known as the 'English' sonnet. It first appeared in the poetry of Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey (1516/17–1547), who translated Italian sonnets into English as well as composing his own....Shakespearean sonnets.CreatorWilliam ShakespeareLiterary periodRenaissance2 more rows
What were Shakespeare's first 2 poems?
Shakespeare's earliest poems, Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece, were probably composed when the theatres were closed because of the plague.
What is Shakespeare's greatest work?
Our Top 5 Greatest Works By William ShakespeareThe Merchant of Venice. The Merchant of Venice tells the intriguing tale of Bassanio, a lonely Venetian desperate to court the beautiful Portia. ... A Midsummer Night's Dream. ... Twelfth Night. ... Romeo and Juliet. ... Macbeth.
What is the famous work of William Shakespeare?
He wrote the blockbuster plays of his day - some of his most famous are Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and Hamlet. It has been almost 400 years since he died, but people still celebrate his work all around the world.
When did Shakespeare start writing plays?
However, it is unlikely that we'll ever know definitively which of the plays was Shakespeare's earliest: We do know that he first began writing a handful of plays in the late 1580s or early 1590s.
Where did William Shakespeare teach theater studies?
He previously served as a theater studies lecturer at Stratford-upon Avon College in the United Kingdom. our editorial process. Lee Jamieson. Updated June 16, 2019. The identity of the first play written by the Elizabethan poet and playwright William Shakespeare (1564 to 1616) is quite controversial among scholars.
Who owned the plays of Shakespeare?
They were owned by the theatre company. Shakespeare often collaborated with other playwrights, who contributed substantial pieces to one another's works. None of the plays were published until the 1590s, after they had appeared in the theatres for several years.
Who wrote the tragedy of Arden of Faversham?
Other scholars believe he wrote or cowrote a tragedy named "Arden of Faversham," published in April 1592, and currently officially attributed to Anonymous. All of these were likely written between about ...
Who owned the copyright on Shakespeare's plays?
The copyright on the plays was owned by the theatre company, so actors and directors could and did freely change the text.
Is the historical record complete enough to give a definitive answer?
Several attempts to piece together a coherent list of writing dates for the plays have been published, but they disagree: The historical record is not complete enough to give a definitive answer. Scholars have brought statistical analysis of linguistic patterns to the problem.
When was Shakespeare's first performance?
King John. 1595–1598. First known performance at Covent Garden Theatre on 26 February 1737 but doubtlessly performed as early as the 1590s.
How many plays did Shakespeare write?
Shakespeare bibliography. William Shakespeare (1564–1616) was an English poet and playwright. He wrote approximately 39 plays and 154 sonnets, as well as a variety of other poems.
When was the first performance of the 'The Restoration'?
Believed to have been performed between 1606 and 1608. No recorded performances before The Restoration. The earliest recorded performance was in 1741 at Goodman's Fields, with another the following year at Drury Lane .
When was the first quarto published?
First published in quarto in 1594; the second quarto was published in 1600, the third in 1611. First recorded performance: 24 January 1594 at the Rose; repeat performances on 29 January and 4 February.
When was Macbeth first performed?
The earliest account of a performance of the play is April 1611, when Simon Forman recorded seeing it at the Globe Theatre. The text of Macbeth which survives has plainly been altered by later hands. Most notable is the inclusion of two songs from Thomas Middleton's play The Witch (1615) Summary.
When was The Two Noble Kinsmen published?
The Two Noble Kinsmen. 1613–1614. Published as a quarto in 1635. Thought to be a collaboration with John Fletcher. Shakespeare is thought to have written the following parts of this play: Act I, scenes 1–3; Act II, scene 1; Act III, scene 1; Act V, scene 1, lines 34–173, and scenes 3 and 4. Summary.
Who was the first person to see Julius Caesar?
First published in the First Folio. Thomas Platter , a Swiss traveller, saw a tragedy about Julius Caesar at a Bankside theatre on 21 September 1599. This was most likely Shakespeare's play. There is no immediately obvious alternative candidate.
How many plays did Shakespeare write?
Shakespeare wrote at least 38 plays and over 150 short and long poems, many of which are considered to be the finest ever written in English.
Does the Folger have copies of every play?
The Folger has copies of every play , from the earliest printings to modern editions, and we offer carefully edited print and digital texts. Follow the links below for more information, including plot synopses, brief textual histories, and selected images from our collection.
When was the first folio of Shakespeare published?
The First Folio was printed seven years after the death of William Shakespeare in 1616. During the four hundred years since then, there have been thousands of publications of the complete works of William Shakespeare in hundreds of languages and it is one of the most common books to be found in the bookshops of the world.
What is the book of Shakespeare?
The book is a mirror in which we can reflect themes of love and hate, war and peace, freedom and tyranny. All other cultures translate, adapt and perform the plays regularly and they are the most performed plays on earth. English history has been transformed by Shakespeare.
Why were the Pericles omitted from the first folio?
The debate over the Shakespeare canon rumbles on even today. Pericles was omitted from the First Folio, less because of doubts over its authenticity than because of the editor’s dissatisfaction with the available text, but after it was added to the Third Folio in 1664 it was never removed. In contrast, although The Two Noble Kinsmen was attributed ...
How many plays were added to the third folio?
In 1664 seven new plays were added to the Third Folio, although of these seven only Pericles would eventually be accepted as authentic. This ‘contaminated’ edition was replaced with a Fourth Folio in 1685. The debate over the Shakespeare canon rumbles on even today.
What is the first folio of Shakespeare?
The first collection of Shakespeare’s complete works, known as ‘ The First Folio ‘, is arguably the most important document in the cultural history of Europe. Without it, there would be no such thing as ‘William Shakespeare’. It is almost a miracle that the First Folio ( Complete Works of William Shakespeare) exists at all, given that playwrights tried to keep their plays out of print – mainly to avoid them being pirated – that Shakespeare never published any of his plays, and that not one of Shakespeare’s manuscripts has survived. We owe this book and the fact that we have the texts of so many of the Bard’s plays to the enterprise of two actors. John Hemminge and Henry Condell, two of Shakespeare’s friends and fellow actors, edited the collection.
How many plays were in the first folio?
The printer and publisher of the First Folio were William Jaggard and his son Isaac. It was a major venture, both in editing and printing. It consisted of 36 plays and amounted to 900 pages – a huge book.
How many plays were in Shakespeare's Folio?
The Plays Included in Shakespeare’s Folios. The editors of the First Folio seem to have worked from several sources. They had the flawed texts of six plays, the so-called ‘bad’ quartos, one ‘doubtful’ quarto, and eleven ‘good’ quartos.
When was Shakespeare's play written?
Honigmann, suggests Shakespeare may have written the play prior to his arrival in London, possibly as early as 1587, although he acknowledges this theory is purely speculative.
When did Shakespeare start writing plays?
Honigmann argues that Shakespeare began his career with Titus Andronicus in 1586 (the conventional school of thought is that Shakespeare began writing plays upon arriving in London c. 1590).
How many Shakespearean plays were sold in 1603?
The list includes four Shakespearean plays; The Merchant of Venice, The Taming of a Shrew, Love's Labour's Lost, and Love's Labour's Won.
What is the first play of Henry VI?
First official record: possibly in Philip Henslowe's diary. On 3 March 1592, Henslowe reports seeing a "ne" play called "Harey the vj" (i.e. Henry VI ), which could be a reference to 1 Henry VI, although this is not universally accepted. An entry found in the Stationers' Register on 19 April 1602 transferring the rights from Thomas Millington to Thomas Pavier of "The first and Second parte of Henry VJ" is thought to refer to what we today call 2 Henry VI and 3 Henry VI, not 1 Henry VI. The first definite record of the play was not until the First Folio in 1623.
What evidence is there for Shakespeare's play?
Evidence: as there is virtually no external evidence (other than the quarto text which establishes 1597 as a terminus ante quem) with which to date the play, most arguments tend to centre on references within the play to topical events, publication dates of Shakespeare's influences, and stylistic evidence.
When was Romeo and Juliet first performed?
For example, the first recorded performance of Romeo and Juliet was not until 1662, yet we know the play was performed in Shakespeare's lifetime.
Who adapted King Henry VI?
Two more adaptations followed in 1723. The first was Humfrey Duke of Gloucester by Ambrose Philips, the second was Theophilus Cibber 's King Henry VI: A Tragedy, both of which adapted scenes from 2 Henry VI.
When did Shakespeare start working as an actor?
Whatever the answer, by 1592 Shakespeare had begun working as an actor, penned several plays and spent enough time in London to write about its geography, culture and diverse personalities with great authority.
What were Shakespeare's first plays?
Shakespeare’s first plays, believed to have been written before or around 1592, encompass all three of the main dramatic genres in the bard’s oeuvre: tragedy (“Titus Andronicus”); comedy (“The Two Gentlemen of Verona,” “The Comedy of Errors” and “The Taming of the Shrew”); and history (the “Henry VI” trilogy and “Richard III”). Shakespeare was likely affiliated with several different theater companies when these early works debuted on the London stage. In 1594 he began writing and acting for a troupe known as the Lord Chamberlain’s Men (renamed the King’s Men when James I appointed himself its patron), ultimately becoming its house playwright and partnering with other members to establish the legendary Globe theater in 1599.
How did Shakespeare die?
Shakespeare died at age 52 of unknown causes on April 23, 1616, leaving the bulk of his estate to his daughter Susanna. (Anne Hathaway, who outlived her husband by seven years, famously received his “second-best bed.”) The slabstone over Shakespeare’s tomb, located inside a Stratford church, bears an epitaph—written, some say, by the bard himself—warding off grave robbers with a curse: “Blessed be the man that spares these stones, / And cursed be he that moves my bones.” His remains have yet to be disturbed, despite requests by archaeologists keen to reveal what killed him.
What are some examples of Shakespeare's influence on the English language?
Examples include the words “fashionable” (“Troilus and Cressida”), “sanctimonious” (“Measure for Measure”), ...
How many ways did Shakespeare spell his name?
Did you know? Sources from William Shakespeare's lifetime spell his last name in more than 80 different ways, ranging from “Shappere” to “Shaxberd.”. In the handful of signatures that have survived, he himself never spelled his name “William Shakespeare,” using variations such as “Willm Shakspere” and “William Shakspeare” instead.
Where was Shakespeare born?
William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, a bustling market town 100 miles northwest of London, and baptized there on April 26, 1564. His birthday is traditionally celebrated on April 23, which was the date of his death in 1616 and is the feast day of St. George, the patron saint of England. Shakespeare’s father, John, dabbled in farming, wood trading, tanning, leatherwork, money lending and other occupations; he also held a series of municipal positions before falling into debt in the late 1580s. The ambitious son of a tenant farmer, John boosted his social status by marrying Mary Arden, the daughter of an aristocratic landowner. Like John, she may have been a practicing Catholic at a time when those who rejected the newly established Church of England faced persecution.
When did Shakespeare disappear?
To the dismay of his biographers, Shakespeare disappears from the historical record between 1585, when his twins’ baptism was recorded, and 1592, when the playwright Robert Greene denounced him in a pamphlet as an “upstart crow” (evidence that he had already made a name for himself on the London stage).
How many plays did Shakespeare write?
Shakespeare wrote at least 38 plays and over 150 short and long poems, many of which are considered to be the finest ever written in English. His works have been translated into every major living language, and some others besides (the Folger's holdings include translations in Esperanto and Klingon), and nearly 400 years after his death, ...
What are the genres of Shakespeare plays?
Traditionally, the plays are divided into the genres of tragedy, history, and comedy ; they have been translated into every major living language, in addition to being continually performed all around the world.
Which poem was written in 1609?
Both proved popular and were often reprinted during Shakespeare's lifetime. A third narrative poem, A Lover's Complaint, in which a young woman laments her seduction by a persuasive suitor, was printed in the first edition of the Sonnets in 1609. Most scholars now accept that Shakespeare wrote A Lover's Complaint.
Who wrote a lover's complaint?
Most scholars now accept that Shakespeare wrote A Lover's Complaint. Critics consider that its fine qualities are marred by leaden effects. The Phoenix and the Turtle, printed in Robert Chester's 1601 Love's Martyr, mourns the deaths of the legendary phoenix and his lover, the faithful turtle dove.
What is the theme of Shakespeare's sonnets?
Twelfth Night. Two Gentlemen of Verona. Winter's Tale. Poster for an 1879 production on Broadway, featuring Stuart Robson and William Crane. Shakespeare's Sonnets is the title of a collection of 154 sonnets by William Shakespeare, which covers themes such as the passage of time, love, beauty and mortality.
