Shakespeare's Top 10 works
Romeo and Juliet
'Romeo and Juliet' is a tragedy about two lovers whose parents are enemies. Juliet's cousin kills Romeo's best friend, then he kills him. Juliet drinks a potion that makes her appear dead. Romeo sees her "dead" body and kills himself. Juliet awakes, sees the dead Romeo and she kills herself.
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Julio Caesar
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The tragedy of 'Julius Caesar' is written in 1599.
It recreates the conspiracy against the Roman dictator Julius Caesar, his assassination, and its consequences. It constitutes one of the many Sjakespearean works based on historical facts. Unlike many main characters in other works of the genre (e.g. Hamlet, Enrique V), Caesar is not the main character, appearing only in three scenes, and dying at the beginning of the third act. The protagonist of the story is Brutus.
Antonio und Cleopatra
'Antonio and Cleopatra' is a historical tragedy in five-acts written by William Shakespeare. Most scholars believe it was written in 1606. However, some reseachers argue that it was likely earlier, around 1603.
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A Midsummer Night's Dream
'A Midsummer Night's Dream' is a comedy written around 1595. It is considered one of the great classics of world theater literature. Apparently, it was written on the occasion of the wedding of Sir Thomas Berkeley and Elizabeth Carey in February 1596.
Macbeth
'Macbeth' is a five-act tragedy about betrayal. The Scottish nobleman Macbeth receives a prohpecy from three witches: He will become king. However, on his way to the throne he becomes greedy and commits numerous murders. The dead appear to him as spirits. His wife commits suicide, and Macbeth is killed by his enemies.
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King Lear
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'King Lear' is one of William Shakespeare's tragic plays that explores themes of power, family, madness, and betrayal. The story revolves around King Lear's decision to divide his kingdom among his three daughters based on their declarations of love for him. However, his two elder daughters, Goneril and Regan, deceive him, leading to his downfall. Lear faces the consequences of his misjudgment, ultimately descending into madness as he loses everything, including his beloved daughter Cordelia. The play ends tragically with Lear's death.
Hamlet
'Hamlet' is a tragedy about a young Danish prince whose father was killed by his uncle. The prince seeks revenge but fails to achieve it. Many characters die, including his uncle, Hamlet himself, Ophelia (his lover), her brother, and her father. The famous sentence "To be, or not to be" comes from this play. Its author likely drew inspiration for Hamlet from two sources: the legend of Amleth and a lost Elizabethan work, now known as Ur-Hamlet or Original Hamlet (a fact derived from other texts), which was probably written between 1599 and 1601.
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All's Well That Ends Well
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"To a good ending, there is no bad beginning", also known as 'All's Well That Ends Well', is a comedy by William Shakespeare. It is believed that Shakespeare wrote this play along with "Measure for Measure" around 1601 to 1605. These two comedies were called "dark comedies" because they did not fit neatly into any category and had endings that might be considered unconventional. The plot of his work is set in places that appeared exotic to the author: Paris, Florence, and Roussillon.
The Merchant of Venice
'The Merchant of Venice' is a play written by William Shakespeare between 1596 and 1598, which was not published until 1600. It tells the story of a merchant named Antonio who borrows money from a Jewish moneylender named Shylock demands a pound of his flesh in court, but Portia's legal intervention saves Antonio.
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Othello
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'Othello' is a play by Shakespeare, written around 1603. Othello is a tragedy, akin to "Hamlet", "Macbeth", and "King Lear". Shakespeare likely wrote Othello after Hamlet but before the latter two. The first documented performance took place at the Whitehall Palace in London in 1604.