Writing style:
William Shakespeare's early plays were written in the conventional writing style of the Elizabethan era, with elaborate metaphors and rhetorical phrases. However, Shakespeare was very innovative, adapting the existing writing style to suit his own purposes and ways of writing. With only some variation, Shakespeare primarily used a form of writing where some verses go unrhymed, whilst others do. At the same time though, there are passages in all his plays that deviate from such forms of writing and do rhyme.
EARLY WORKS: HISTORIES AND COMEDIES:
Apart from Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare's first plays were mainly histories written in the early 1590's. Richard II, Henry VI and Henry V dramatize the destructive results of weak, unfair and corrupt rulers.
Shakespeare also wrote several comedies during his early period such as the witty romance A Midsummer Night's Dream, the romantic Merchant of Venice, the wordplay of Much Ado about Nothing and the charming As You Like It and Twelfth Night. Other plays most likely written before 1600 include Titus Andronicus, The Comedy of Errors, The Taming of the Shrew and The Two Gentlemen of Verona.
Shakespeare also wrote several comedies during his early period such as the witty romance A Midsummer Night's Dream, the romantic Merchant of Venice, the wordplay of Much Ado about Nothing and the charming As You Like It and Twelfth Night. Other plays most likely written before 1600 include Titus Andronicus, The Comedy of Errors, The Taming of the Shrew and The Two Gentlemen of Verona.
Later works: TRAGEDIES AND TRAGICOMEDIES:
It was in William Shakespeare's later period, after 1600, that he wrote tragedies Hamlet, King Lear, Othello and Macbeth. In these, Shakespeare's characters present realistic impressions of human emotions that are still understood around the world today. Possibly the best known of the tragedies is Hamlet, a story of betrayal, punishment, incest and moral failure. Such moral failures often drive twists in most of Shakespeare's plays, resulting in the destruction of the hero and those he loves.
In William Shakespeare's final period, he wrote several tragicomedies, such as: Cymbeline, The Winter's Tale and The Tempest. Though not as 'funny' as his comedies, such plays are not as dark as King Lear or Macbeth because they end with forgiveness and reconciliation.
In William Shakespeare's final period, he wrote several tragicomedies, such as: Cymbeline, The Winter's Tale and The Tempest. Though not as 'funny' as his comedies, such plays are not as dark as King Lear or Macbeth because they end with forgiveness and reconciliation.
List of Shakespearean plays:
All's Well That Ends Well (1602)
Antony and Cleopatra (1606)
As You Like It (1599)
Comedy of Errors (1589)
Coriolanus (1607)
Cymbeline (1609)
Hamlet (1600)
Henry IV, Part I (1597)
Henry IV, Part II (1597)
Henry V (1598)
Henry VI, Part I (1591)
Henry VI, Part II (1590)
Henry VI, Part III (1590)
Henry VIII (1612)
Julius Caesar (1599)
King John (1596)
King Lear (1605)
Love's Labour's Lost (1594)
Macbeth (1605)
Measure for Measure (1604)
Merchant of Venice (1596)
Merry Wives of Windsor (1600)
Midsummer Night's Dream (1595)
Much Ado about Nothing (1598)
Othello (1604)
Pericles (1608)
Richard II (1595)
Richard III (1592)
Romeo and Juliet (1594)
Taming of the Shrew (1593)
Tempest (1611)
Timon of Athens (1607)
Titus Andronicus (1593)
Troilus and Cressida (1601)
Twelfth Night (1599)
Two Gentlemen of Verona (1594)
Winter's Tale (1610)
The general belief is that Shakespeare wrote 37 plays in total (see above list). However, no-one can know for certain because of the inexact documentation during the organization of his plays published. If we include The Two Noble Kings men and two lost plays credited to Shakespeare, Cardenio and Love’s Labour’s Won, then we could say that Shakespeare wrote a total of forty plays.
As well as Shakespeare's 37 plays, he also wrote a total of 154 individual sonnets.
By Tijana Chetcuti- 9B ©
Antony and Cleopatra (1606)
As You Like It (1599)
Comedy of Errors (1589)
Coriolanus (1607)
Cymbeline (1609)
Hamlet (1600)
Henry IV, Part I (1597)
Henry IV, Part II (1597)
Henry V (1598)
Henry VI, Part I (1591)
Henry VI, Part II (1590)
Henry VI, Part III (1590)
Henry VIII (1612)
Julius Caesar (1599)
King John (1596)
King Lear (1605)
Love's Labour's Lost (1594)
Macbeth (1605)
Measure for Measure (1604)
Merchant of Venice (1596)
Merry Wives of Windsor (1600)
Midsummer Night's Dream (1595)
Much Ado about Nothing (1598)
Othello (1604)
Pericles (1608)
Richard II (1595)
Richard III (1592)
Romeo and Juliet (1594)
Taming of the Shrew (1593)
Tempest (1611)
Timon of Athens (1607)
Titus Andronicus (1593)
Troilus and Cressida (1601)
Twelfth Night (1599)
Two Gentlemen of Verona (1594)
Winter's Tale (1610)
The general belief is that Shakespeare wrote 37 plays in total (see above list). However, no-one can know for certain because of the inexact documentation during the organization of his plays published. If we include The Two Noble Kings men and two lost plays credited to Shakespeare, Cardenio and Love’s Labour’s Won, then we could say that Shakespeare wrote a total of forty plays.
As well as Shakespeare's 37 plays, he also wrote a total of 154 individual sonnets.
By Tijana Chetcuti- 9B ©