Shakespeare how many plays

From histories written in the late s to the early s, Shakespeare moved into comedies, which were described as such for their comic sequences and pairs of plots that intertwined with each other. Interestingly, two tragedies bookend Shakespeare's comedic era - Romeo and Juliet were written at the beginning of the s, and Julius Caesar was written at the end of the era.

For the last portion of his writing career, Shakespeare focused his work on tragedies and "problem" plays. In this era, which is acknowledged as the playwright's best era, he wrote the works called Hamlet , Othello , King Lear , Coriolanus , and Macbeth , among others. These are the works that are most in production today, both on stage and in film. When looking at a chronology of Shakespeare's plays, it is clear that Shakespeare changed the subjects of his plays as he grew in prominence and then returned to a more serene life.

Moving from historical subjects to a more playful side and then, finally, into plays where plots would result in a sense of forgiveness and serenity, Shakespeare's evolution as both a man and a writer is evident. In fact, the playwright's devotion to the English language and his rebellion against it has led to fascinating studies done by leading literature scholars.

There are two volumes of poetry and over sonnets that are attributed to Shakespeare. It is thought that although Shakespeare was a poet throughout his lifetime, he turned to poetry most notably during and when a plague forced theatres in London to shut down.

The volumes of narrative poems that Shakespeare released during those years were called Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece. Both volumes focused on the problems surrounding uncontrollable lust and the guilt associated with it afterwards and were very well received during his lifetime, partially for their erotic tone. In this vein, Shakespeare also wrote A Lover's Complaint , which was included in the first edition of Shakespeare's sonnets, which were released in Shakespeare's sonnets were a collection of over works that were published late in his life and without any indication of when each of the pieces was composed.

It is widely thought that the sonnets were a part of a private diary that was never meant to be read publicly but nevertheless were published. The sonnets have a contrasting set of subjects - one set chronicles the poet's lust for a married woman with a dark complexion, known as The Dark Lady , while the other describes a conflicted or confused love for a young man, known as the "fair youth.

Critics have praised the sonnets as being profoundly intimate and meditating on the values of love, lust, procreation, and death. Shakespeare's influence on art, literature, language and the vast array of the creative arts has long been known and documented.

He is the most-read playwright in the Western Hemisphere, and the English language is littered with quotes and phrases the originated from his works. He is also the inventor of the iambic pentameter, a form of poetry that is still widely used today. He is also one of the most influential figures in English literature, having had a profound impact on everyone from Herman Melville and Charles Dickens to Agatha Christie and Anthony Burgess.

But his influence did not stop at just the arts - the psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud used Hamlet as the foundation for many of his theories on human nature, and his influence can be felt in painting and opera as well, particularly from the operas of Giuseppe Verdi and the whole community of Romantic and Pre-Raphaelite painters.

But Shakespeare was, and still is, the most prominent influential figure in language. Phrases such as "breaking the ice" or "heart of gold" are colloquial now, but are also known to have originated in Shakespeare's plays and sonnets. Circular in shape, the theater accommodated patrons from the lowest tier, who paid a penny and sat on the floor, to the highest tier, who paid more and sat in balconies. Different levels of British society came together to enjoy the only entertainment of the time: plays.

Shakespeare chose many themes for his plays that would entertain audiences compared to some other plays of the day based on morality issues. Shakespeare wrote primarily comedies in his early career, then his tragedies, followed by his tragicomedies or romances.

By producing good writing on topics of interest to people, Shakespeare had many loyal fans. However, Shakespeare's plays spoke to the common man by tapping into the ideas and interests shared by many.

Since his death, Shakespeare has continued to inspire many people who read his work. Love him or hate him, it's easy to make the case that Shakespeare was one of the greatest writers the world has ever known. Not only did he pump out an enormous volume of writing, but he also wrote plays that the crowd adored. Would you believe he didn't stop with this massive list of plays? He was also a masterful poet. Shakespeare is renowned for having mastered the art of the sonnet.

Whether you go on to enjoy his plays or his sonnets — or both — learn more about Shakespearian language with a Shakespeare translator. It'll help you transport back to a world where you could attend a play for a penny. All rights reserved. The Plays of William Shakespeare. Categories of Shakespeare's Plays The three types of plays Shakespeare wrote are tragedies , comedies , and histories. Tragedies William Shakespeare knew how to strike a chord in the tragedy department.

Comedies In the context of Shakespearean plays, "comedy" doesn't necessarily mean it's funny though it often is. Histories There's no doubt Shakespeare found the royal court to be something of an enigma. Lost Works There are a few plays that Shakespeare may have authored or co-authored, as well.

A Prolific Playwright How many plays did Shakespeare write? Not mentioned in Meres's list of plays and alludes to a map first published in Troilus and Cressida Dated , registered for publication early and alludes to the play Thomas Lord Cromwell , which was registered for publication in Othello Dated though some argue for a slightly earlier date.

It is recorded to have been performed in court in November Measure for Measure Performed at court for Christmas , probably written earlier the same year All's Well That Ends Well No strong evidence for date written or first performed, but it is usually dated on stylistic grounds Timon of Athens Estimated based on stylistic similarity to King Lear King Lear Dated Performed at court December and seems to refer to eclipses of September and October Macbeth Certainly more Jacobean than Elizabethan based on the play's several compliments to King James Antony and Cleopatra Dated , registered for publication in and perhaps performed at court in or Coriolanus Perhaps written in Registered for publication in ; Wilkin's novel The Painful Adventures of Pericles, cashing in on the success of the play, was published in Cymbeline A performance in is recorded.

Theatres were reopened in spring after a long closure due to the plague. The Winter's Tale Performed at the Globe May ; dance of satyrs apparently borrows from a court entertainment of January The Tempest The first Globe theatre burnt down in a fire that started during a performance of the play on 29 June The Two Noble Kinsmen ; 'our loss' in the Prologue probably refers to the Globe fire of You are in: About Shakespeare.

Also in this section Also in this section Histories timeline Tragedies, comedies and histories Venus and Adonis Famous Quotes Shakespeare's weddings - happily ever after?