King Lear
‘King Lear’, a tragedy in five acts by William Shakespeare, is considered to be written between 1605 and 1606. The aging King Lear decides to divide his kingdom among his three daughters, allotting each a portion in proportion to the eloquence of her declaration of love. The hypocritical Goneril and Regan make grand pronouncements […]
Twelfth Night
‘Twelfth Night’ is a fast-paced romantic comedy with several interwoven plots, mistaken identities and practical jokes. Separated from her twin brother Sebastian in a shipwreck, Viola disguises herself as a boy, calls herself Cesario, and becomes a servant to the Duke Orsino. Even though it is a comedy, based on a day of partying, ‘Twelfth Night’ […]
Titus Andronicus
‘Titus Andronicus’ is believed to have been written between 1588 and 1593. It is thought to be Shakespeare’s first tragedy and is often seen as his attempt to emulate the violent and bloody revenge plays of his contemporaries. Titus, a general in the Roman army, presents Tamora, Queen of the Goths, as a slave […]
Timon of Athens
‘Timon of Athens’ is a tragedy in five acts by William Shakespeare, probably written sometime in 1605-1606. It belongs to Shakespeare’s late experimental period when he explored a new kind of tragic form. Unlike the plots of his other tragedies, the story of ‘Timon of Athens’ is simple and lacks complexity. It demonstrates events […]
Measure for Measure
Shakespeare’s ‘Measure for Measure’ centers around the fate of Claudio, who is arrested by Lord Angelo, the temporary leader of Vienna. Angelo is left in charge by the Duke, who pretends to leave town but instead dresses as a friar to observe the goings-on in his absence. In ‘Measure for Measure’ Shakespeare explores such themes as […]
Macbeth
‘Macbeth’, a tragedy in five acts by William Shakespeare, is considered to be written sometime in 1606–1607. The play is the shortest of Shakespeare’s tragedies, without diversions or subplots. It chronicles Macbeth’s seizing of power and subsequent destruction, both his rise and his fall the result of blind ambition. As a tragedy, ‘Macbeth’ is a […]
Julius Caesar
‘Julius Caesar’ is a tragedy by William Shakespeare first performed in 1599. In the play, 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. Mark Antony drives the conspirators out of Rome […]
Hamlet: Prince of Denmark
The ghost of the King of Denmark tells his son Hamlet to avenge his murder by killing the new king, Hamlet’s uncle. Hamlet feigns madness, contemplates life and death, and seeks revenge. His uncle, fearing for his life, also devises plots to kill Hamlet. The play ends with a duel, during which the King, Queen, […]
Cymbeline
‘Cymbeline’ is a late Shakespeare play where he brings some of his most persistent ideas on to the stage. Appearance and reality in the form of deceit is strong in this play. Cymbeline is the King of Britain. He marries an unpleasant woman who has an arrogant son called Cloten. Cymbeline arranges the marriage of […]
Antony and Cleopatra
‘Antony and Cleopatra’, a tragedy in five acts by William Shakespeare, written in 1606–1607, is considered one of Shakespeare’s richest and most moving works. The principal source of the play was Sir Thomas North’s ‘Parallel Lives’ (1579), an English version of ‘Plutarch’s Bioi parallēloi’. The story concerns Mark Antony, Roman military leader and triumvir, who […]
