Publication Order of Comedy Plays
| The Tempest | (1593) | |
| The Two Gentlemen of Verona | (1594) | |
| The Merry Wives of Windsor | (1594) | |
| Measure for Measure | (1594) | |
| The Comedy of Errors | (1594) | |
| Much Ado About Nothing | (1595) | |
| Love’s Labour’s Lost | (1595) | |
| A Midsummer Night’s Dream | (1595) | |
| The Merchant of Venice | (1596) | |
| As You Like It | (1599) | |
| The Taming of the Shrew | (1599) | |
| All’s Well That Ends Well | (1604) | |
| Twelfth Night | (1605) | |
| The Winter’s Tale | (1605) | |
| Pericles | (1606) | |
| The Two Noble Kinsmen | (1634) | |
| Order of plays is based on the First Folio. | ||
Publication Order of History Plays
| King John | (1590) |
| Richard II | (1590) |
| Henry IV, Part I | (1590) |
| Henry IV, Part 2 | (1590) |
| Henry V | (1591) |
| Henry VI, Part 1 | (1596) |
| Henry VI, Part 2 | (1597) |
| Henry VI, Part 3 | (1597) |
| Richard III | (1597) |
| Henry VIII | (1597) |
| Edward III | (1598) |
Publication Order of Tragedy Plays
| Troilus and Cressida | (1592) |
| Coriolanus | (1593) |
| Titus Andronicus | (1594) |
| Romeo and Juliet | (1595) |
| Timon of Athens | (1596) |
| Julius Caesar | (1599) |
| Macbeth | (1600) |
| Hamlet | (1603) |
| King Lear | (1605) |
| Othello | (1605) |
| Antony and Cleopatra | (1606) |
| Cymbeline | (1610) |
Publication Order of Collections
| The Prince’s Choice | (1995) |
| The Complete Arkangel Shakespeare | (1998) |
| The Complete Sonnets of William Shakespeare | (2000) |
Publication Order of Anthologies
| On Suicide: Great Writers on the Ultimate Question | (1992) |
| World’s Greatest Poems | (2015) |
| The Greatest Books of All Time #4 | (2017) |
| Writers: Their Lives and Works | (2018) |
More about William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare, often hailed as one of the greatest writers in the English language and the world’s pre-eminent dramatist, was born in April 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, England.
He was the son of John Shakespeare, a successful glove-maker, and Mary Arden, a daughter from an affluent farming family. Shakespeare received a good education at the local grammar school, but his formal education ended after that.
Theatrical Career and London Life
In the late 1580s, Shakespeare moved to London, where he embarked on a successful career as a playwright, actor, and part-owner of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, later known as the King’s Men. This period was a time of prolific creativity for Shakespeare, during which he penned the majority of his best-known plays.
Major Works and Literary Mastery
Shakespeare’s work includes 39 plays, 154 sonnets, and two long narrative poems. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. His most famous works include tragedies like “Hamlet,” “Othello,” “King Lear,” and “Macbeth,” comedies such as “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “Much Ado About Nothing,” and “Twelfth Night,” and histories like “Henry IV” and “Richard III.”
Style and Contributions
Shakespeare’s writing is celebrated for its emotional depth, intricate characters, and poetic brilliance. His ability to express the human condition in its many forms – from the tragic to the comic – has ensured his works’ enduring popularity and relevance. He expanded the dramatic potential of characterization, plot, language, and genre, leaving a legacy that has profoundly influenced theatre and literature.
Personal Life and Legacy
Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway in 1582, and they had three children. He retired to Stratford around 1613, where he died on April 23, 1616. Shakespeare’s influence on art, literature, and the English language is immeasurable. His plays and poems have continually inspired countless works across multiple genres, and his exploration of human nature has rendered his works timeless.