Entertainment/William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare (1564 – 1616) was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon. At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet (died, aged 11) and Judith. Between 1585 and 1592, he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part owner of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men
The Lord Chamberlain's Men was a playing company for whom Shakespeare wrote for most of his career. Richard Burbage played most of the lead roles, including Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth, while Shakespeare himself performed some secondary roles. Formed at the end of a period of flux in the theatrical world of London, it had become, by 1603, one of the two leading companies of the city and was subsequently patronized by James I
Chandos portrait is the most famous of the portraits that may depict William Shakespeare. The portrait was given to the National Portrait Gallery on its foundation in 1856 and it is listed as the first work in its collection
Comedies
All’s Well That Ends Well
Helena, orphaned daughter of a doctor, is under the protection of the widowed Countess of Rossillion. In love with Bertram, the countess' son, Helena follows him to court, where she cures the sick French king of an apparently fatal illness. In return, she is given the hand of any man in the realm; she chooses Bertram. Her new husband is appalled at the match, however, and shortly after their marriage flees France
Based on a tale from Boccaccio's The Decameron
Characters
King of France
Duke of Florence
Bertram, Count of Rousillon
Countess of Rousillon, Mother to Bertram
Lavatch, a Clown in her household
Helena, a Gentlewoman protected by the Countess
As You Like It
Duke Ferdinand has been forced into exile from the court by the usurping Duke Frederick. He takes refuge in the Forest of Arden with a band of faithful lords. Rosalind, his daughter, is kept uneasily at court as a companion to her cousin Celia, Frederick's daughter. Orlando de Boys, the youngest son of the late Sir Rowland de Boys, has been kept in poverty by his brother Oliver since his father's death. Orlando decides to wrestle for his fortune at Frederick's court, where he sees Rosalind and they fall in love
Characters
Duke Frederick, Duke Senior's younger brother and his usurper, also Celia's father
Rosalind, Duke Senior's daughter
Celia, Duke Frederick's daughter and Rosalind's cousin
Touchstone, a court fool
Oliver de Boys, the eldest son and heir of the deceased Sir Rowland de Boys
Orlando de Boys, the youngest son
Jacques, a melancholy lord
Phoebe, a shepherdess
Audrey, a country girl
Hymen, God of marriage
Quotes
“All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages” – first part of the ‘seven ages of man’ monologue by Jacques
The Comedy of Errors
The Comedy of Errors tells the story of two sets of identical twins that were accidentally separated at birth. Antipholus of Syracuse and his servant, Dromio of Syracuse, arrive in Ephesus, which turns out to be the home of their twin brothers, Antipholus of Ephesus (married to Adriana) and his servant, Dromio of Ephesus
Shortest Shakespeare play
Characters
Antipholus of Ephesus and Antipholus of Syracuse. Twin brothers, sons of Egeon and Emilia
Dromio of Ephesus and Dromio of Syracuse. Twin brothers. Bondmen, each serving his respective Antipholus
Solinus, Duke of Ephesus
Egeon, a merchant of Syracuse
Love’s Labour’s Lost
The play follows the King of Navarre and his three companions as they attempt to forswear the company of women for three years of study and fasting, and their subsequent infatuation with the Princess of Aquitaine and her ladies
Characters
Ferdinand, King of Navarre
Lord Biron, attending on the king
Lord Longueville, attending on the king
Lord Dumaine, attending on the King
Princess of France, later Queen of France
Lady Rosaline, attending on the Princess
Lady Maria attending on the Princess
Lady Katharine, attending on the Princess
Boyet, attending on the Princess
Costard, a clown
Dull, a constable
Measure for Measure
Only Shakespeare play set in Vienna. The action centres around the dilemma of Isabella, a novice nun, whose brother is to be executed unless she succumbs to the attentions of Angelo
Characters
Vincentio, the Duke, who also appears disguised as Friar Lodowick
Angelo, the Deputy, who rules in the Duke's absence
Claudio, a young gentleman
Isabella, sister to Claudio
Mariana, betrothed to Angelo
Juliet, beloved of Claudio, pregnant with his child
Mistress Overdone, the manager of a thriving Viennese brothel
Elbow, a simple constable
The Merchant of Venice
The Jewish moneylender Shylock demands a pound of flesh from the merchant Antonio if he fails to pay his debts on time. Set in 16th century Venice
Shylock cannot remove the flesh of Antonio, as the contract only allows Shylock to collect the flesh, and not the blood of Antonio
Characters
Antonio, a merchant of Venice
Bassanio, Antonio's friend. Suitor to Portia
Portia, a rich heiress
Nerissa, Portia's waiting maid. In love with Gratiano
Balthazar, Portia's servant, who Portia later disguises herself as
Shylock, a rich Jew. Moneylender. Father of Jessica
Jessica, daughter of Shylock. Lorenzo's girlfriend
Launcelot Gobbo, a servant to Shylock
Prince of Morocco, suitor to Portia
Quotes
“In sooth I know not why I am so sad” – first line, spoken by Antonio
“All that glisters is not gold” – Morocco
“Hath not a Jew eyes?” – Shylock
“I would not have given it for a wilderness of monkeys” – Shylock
“The quality of mercy is not strained. It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven, upon the place beneath” – Portia
The Merry Wives of Windsor
Falstaff arrives in Windsor very short on money. He decides, to obtain financial advantage that he will court two wealthy married women, Mistress Ford and Mistress Page. Falstaff decides to send the women identical love letters. three different men are trying to win the hand of Page's daughter, Mistress Anne Page
It is generally believed that Shakespeare originally named Falstaff ‘John Oldcastle’, and that Lord Cobham, a descendant of the historical John Oldcastle, complained, forcing Shakespeare to change the name
Characters
Sir John Falstaff
Mistress Margaret Page
Master George Page, her husband
Anne Page, their daughter. In love with Fenton
Mistress Alice Ford
Master Frank Ford, her husband who is jealous of Falstaff
Doctor Caius, a French physician
Mistress Quickly, his housekeeper
Pistol, a soldier
Quotes
“Why then, the world’s mine oyster, which I with sword will open” – Pistol
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
The play portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and Hippolyta. These include the adventures of four young Athenian lovers and a group of six amateur actors (mechanicals) rehearsing for Pyramus and Thisbe, who are controlled and manipulated by the fairies who inhabit the forest in which most of the play is set
Characters
Theseus, Duke of Athens
Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, betrothed to Theseus
Egeus, father of Hermia, wants her to marry Demetrius
Hermia, in love with Lysander
Helena, in love with Demetrius
Lysander, in love with Hermia at first but later loves Helena and then goes back to love Hermia
Demetrius, in love with Hermia at first and then loves Helena at the end
Oberon, Titania's husband and King of the Fairies
Titania, Queen of the Fairies
Robin Goodfellow / Puck, servant to Oberon
Peaseblossom, fairy servant to Titania
Cobweb, fairy servant to Titania
Moth, fairy servant to Titania
Mustardseed, fairy servant to Titania
Peter Quince, carpenter, leads the troupe and plays Prologue
Nick Bottom, weaver, plays Pyramus
Francis Flute, bellows-mender, plays Thisbe
Robin Starveling, tailor
Tom Snout, tinker
Snug, joiner
Quotes
“Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour draws on apace” – first line, spoken by Theseus
“Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania” – Oberon
“I’ll put a girdle round the Earth in forty minutes” – Puck
“That is the true beginning of our end” – Quince
“The course of true love never did run smooth” – Lysander
Much Ado about Nothing
The main plot concerns the deception of Don John, while Claudio believes Hero to be unfaithful. The sub-plot is the relationship between Beatrice and Benedick
Characters
Benedick, a lord and soldier from Padua. Companion of Don Pedro
Don Pedro, Prince of Aragon
Don John, the Bastard Prince. Brother of Don Pedro
Claudio, of Florence; a count. Companion of Don Pedro. Friend to Benedick
Leonato, governor of Messina
Beatrice, niece of Leonato.
Hero, daughter of Leonato
Dogberry, a constable in charge of Messina's night watch
Quotes
“Are you good men and true?” – Dogberry
“Comparisons are odorous” – Dogberry
Pericles, Prince of Tyre
Pericles flees from the court of the King of Antioch after solving a riddle which means that Antiochus is engaged in an incestuous relationship with his daughter. Eventually Pericles is reunited with his daughter, Marina
George Wilkins may have written part of the play
John Gower introduces each act with a prologue
Characters
Antiochus, king of Antioch
The Daughter of Antiochus
Pericles, Prince of Tyre
Simonides – king of Pentapolis
Thaisa, daughter to Simonides. Pericles' wife
Marina, daughter to Pericles and Thaisa
The Taming of the Shrew
The play begins with a mischievous nobleman tricking a drunken tinker named Christopher Sly into believing he is actually a nobleman himself. The main plot depicts the courtship of Petruchio and Katherina, the shrew. The subplot features a competition between the suitors of Katherina's more desirable sister, Bianca
Characters
Katherina Minola, the ‘shrew’
Bianca, sister of Katherina
Baptista, father of Katherina and Bianca
Petruchio, suitor of Katherina
Gremio, elderly suitor of Bianca
Lucentio, suitor of Bianca
Hortensio, suitor of Bianca and friend to Petruchio
Grumio, Petruchio's main servant
Christopher Sly, a drunken tinker
Quotes
“This is the way to kill a wife with kindness” – Petruchio
“Why, there's a wench! Come on, and kiss me, Kate” – Petruchio
The Tempest
The play is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place using illusion and skilful manipulation. He conjures up a storm to lure his usurping brother Antonio and King Alonso of Naples to the island
Characters
Prospero, the overthrown Duke of Milan. May have been modeled on John Dee
Miranda, Prospero's daughter. Falls in love with the Prince of Naples, Ferdinand
Ariel, a spirit who does Prospero's bidding and is, at times, visible only to him
Caliban, a villainous island native, the deformed son of a witch named Sycorax, who is unseen in the play. He now works as Prospero's slave but despises him
Alonso, King of Naples
Sebastian, Alonso's treacherous brother
Antonio, Prospero's brother, who usurped his position as Duke of Milan. He and Sebastian plot unsuccessfully to kill Alonso
Ferdinand, Alonso's son. Falls in love with Miranda
Quotes
“Boatswain!” – first line, spoken by the master of a ship
“Full fathom five thy father lies, Of his bones are coral made… But doth suffer a sea-change” – Ariel (sung)
“He that dies pays all debts” – Stefano
“Be not afraid. The isle is full of noises, sounds and sweet airs” – Caliban
“How beauteous mankind is. O brave new world, that has such people in’t!” – Miranda
“We are such stuff as dreams are made of, and our little life is rounded with a sleep” – Prospero
Twelfth Night
The play centres on the twins Viola and Sebastian, who are separated in a shipwreck. Viola (who is disguised as a boy and takes the name Cesario) falls in love with Duke Orsino, who in turn is in love with the Countess Olivia. Upon meeting Viola, Countess Olivia falls in love with her thinking she is a man. Set in Illyria
Twelfth Night; or, What You Will – full title
Characters
Viola, Sebastian's twin sister
Sebastian, Viola's twin brother
Duke Orsino, Duke of Illyria
Olivia, a wealthy countess
Malvolio, steward in the household of Olivia
Sir Toby Belch, Olivia's uncle
Sir Andrew Aguecheek
Feste, the clown of Olivia's household
Quotes
“If music be the food of love, play on” – first line, spoken by Orsino
“Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon ‘em” – Malvolio
“No more cakes and ale” – Toby Belch
“What is the opinion of Pythagoras concerning wildfowl?” – Feste
“Why, this is midsummer madness” – Olivia
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
The play tells of the friendship of Valentine and Proteus, who both fall in love with Silvia, the daughter of the Duke of Milan
Smallest named cast of any play by Shakespeare
Launce’s dog Crab is the only dog to appear in a play by Shakespeare
Characters
Valentine, a gentleman of Verona
Proteus, a gentleman of Verona. Valentine’s closest friend
Silvia, falls in love with Valentine in Milan
Julia, falls in love with Proteus in Verona
Duke of Milan, Silvia's father
Lucetta, Julia's waiting woman
Quotes
“Who is Sylvia? What is she, that all our commend her?” – Host (sung)
The Winter’s Tale
King Leontes suspects his wife, Hermione, of adultery with King Polixenes. Leontes expels Perdita, who falls in love with Florizel. Perdita is eventually re-united with King Leontes. Statue of Hermione comes to life at the end of the play
Exit, pursued by a bear – Stage direction. Antigonus is killed by the bear
Characters
Leontes, The King of Sicily, and the childhood friend of Polixenes
Hermione, The Queen of Sicily
Polixenes, The King of Bohemia
Florizel, Polixenes's only son and heir
Perdita, The daughter of Leontes and Hermione
Autolycus, A roguish peddler, vagabond, and pickpocket
Quotes
“Lawn as white as driven snow” – Autolycus (sung)
Histories
Henry IV, Part I
Henry IV, Part 1 depicts a span of history that begins with Hotspur's battle at Homildon in Northumberland against the Douglas late in 1402, and ends with the defeat of the rebels at Shrewsbury in the middle of 1403
Characters
King Henry IV
Henry, Prince of Wales, eldest son of Henry IV. Nicknamed "Hal" or "Harry"
Sir John Falstaff, a knight who befriends Prince Hal
Mistress Quickly, hostess of the Boar's Head Tavern in Eastcheap
Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland
Thomas Percy, Earl of Worcester. Northumberland's brother
Harry Percy, Northumberland's son, surnamed Hotspur
Edmund Mortimer, Earl of March. Hotspur's brother-in-law and Glendower's son-in-law
Owen Glendower, leader of the Welsh rebels
Archibald, Earl of Douglas. Leader of the Scottish rebels
Quotes
“The better part of valour is discretion” – Falstaff
Henry IV, Part II
The play’s focus is on Prince Hal's journey toward kingship, and his ultimate rejection of Falstaff. It deals with Falstaff's age and his closeness to death, which parallels that of the increasingly sick king
Rumour – the presenter in Henry IV, Part II
At the end of the play, an epilogue thanks the audience and promises that the story will continue in a forthcoming play
Characters
King Henry IV
Prince Hal, later King Henry V
Prince John of Lancaster, Henry's son
Duke of Gloucester, Henry's son
Duke of Clarence, Henry's son
Sir John Falstaff
Mistress Quickly
Pistol, a soldier
Doll Tearsheet, a prostitute
Quotes
“He hath eaten me out of house and home” – Mistress Quickly
“Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown” – Henry IV
Henry V
The play tells the story of King Henry V, focusing on events immediately before and after the Battle of Agincourt (1415), including the Siege of Harfleur. Following the victory at Agincourt, Henry attempts to woo the French princess, Catherine of Valois
Henry V has a scene written in French
Captain Macmorris, a very minor character with only one scene, is the only Irish character in the whole canon
Dauphin sends a gift of a container of tennis balls to Henry V
Characters
King Henry V
Duke of Gloucester, Henry's brother
Duke of Bedford, Henry's brother
Duke of Clarence, Henry's brother
Duke of Exeter, Henry's uncle
Duke of York, Henry's cousin
Charles VI of France
Isabel, wife of Charles VI
Catherine, their daughter. Catherine of Valois
Pistol
Hostess. Formerly Mistress Quickly, now Pistol’s wife
Quotes
“All hell shall stir for this” – Pistol
“Cry, ‘God for Harry, England and Saint George!’” – Henry V
“Once more into the breach, dear friends, once more” – Henry V
“Tennis balls, my liege” – Exeter
“This day is caused the feast of Crispian” – Henry V
“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers” – Henry V
Henry VI, Part I
Henry VI, Part I deals with the loss of England's French territories and the political machinations leading up to the Wars of the Roses, as the English political system is torn apart by personal squabbles and petty jealousy
Shakespeare’s first play, believed to have been written in 1591
Characters
King Henry VI
Duke of Bedford, Henry VI's uncle and Regent of France
Duke Humphrey of Gloucester, Henry VI's uncle and Lord Protector of England
Duke of Exeter, Henry VI's great-uncle
Charles, Dauphin of France
Joan la Pucelle (Joan of Arc)
Bastard of Orleans
John Talbot
Henry VI, Part II
Henry VI, Part II focuses on the King's inability to quell the bickering of his nobles, the death of his trusted adviser Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, the rise of the Duke of York and the inevitability of armed conflict. As such, the play culminates with the opening battle of the War, the First Battle of St Albans (1455)
Largest cast of all Shakespeare's plays
Original title of the play was The First Part of the Contention of the Two Famous Houses of York and Lancaster
Characters
King Henry VI
Queen Margaret, Queen to Henry VI (Margaret of Anjou)
Duke Humphrey of Gloucester, Henry VI's uncle and Lord Protector of England
Duchess Eleanor of Gloucester, Gloucester's wife
Cardinal Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester. Henry VI's great-uncle
William de la Pole, Marquis, later Duke, of Suffolk. Lover of Queen Margaret
Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York who asserts he should be king
Jack Cade, leader of the Kentish rebellion
Quotes
“The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers” – Dick the butcher
Henry VI, Part III
Henry VI, Part III deals primarily with the horrors of The Wars of the Roses, where moral codes are subverted in the pursuit of revenge and power. Covers the period from 1455 to 1471
Features the longest soliloquy in all of Shakespeare, and has more battle scenes (four on stage, one reported) than any other of Shakespeare's plays
Characters
King Henry VI
Queen Margaret, Queen to Henry VI
Edward, Prince of Wales. Their son
Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York who asserts he should be King
Edward Plantagenet, Earl of March. Later King Edward IV. York's eldest son
Quotes
“My crown is in my heart, not on my head” – Henry VI
Henry VIII
Covers the period from 1520 until the christening of Princess Elizabeth in 1533
Henry VIII was Shakespeare’s last play
An alternative title, All is True, is recorded in contemporary documents, the title Henry VIII not appearing until the play's publication in the First Folio of 1623
Henry VIII is thought to be a collaboration between Shakespeare and John Fletcher
During a performance of Henry VIII at the Globe Theatre in 1613, a cannon shot employed for special effects ignited the theatre's thatched roof (and the beams), burning the original building to the ground
Characters
King Henry VIII
Cardinal Wolsey, Archbishop of York and Lord Chancellor. Initially, Henry's chief advisor
Queen Katherine. Later divorced
Anne Boleyn, Katherine's maid of honour. Later Queen Anne
Duke of Buckingham
Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury. Replaces Wolsey as Henry's chief advisor
Stephen Gardiner, close ally of Wolsey. King's secretary. Later Bishop of Winchester
Thomas Cromwell, Wolsey’s secretary
King John
The play covers the reign of King John (1199 – 1216), but makes no mention of Magna Carta
Characters
King John
Queen Eleanor, his mother. Widow of Henry II
Prince Henry, his son. Later King Henry III
Philip Faulconbridge, also known as Philip the Bastard and Richard Plantagenet. Natural son of Richard I
Robert Falconbridge, his half-brother. Legitimate son of Sir Robert Faulconbridge
Lady Falconbridge, their mother. Widow of Sir Robert Falconbridge
Arthur (Duke of Brittany)
King Philip of France
Quotes
“To gild refined gold, to paint the lily” – Salisbury
Richard II
The play spans only the last two years of Richard's life, from 1398 to 1400. Richard is killed by Piers Exton
Characters
King Richard II
John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. Richard's uncle
Duke of York, Richard's uncle
Thomas Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk
Queen, Richard's wife (an unnamed composite of his first wife, Anne of Bohemia, and his second, Isabella of Valois)
Henry Bolingbroke, Duke of Hereford. Son of John of Gaunt. Later King Henry IV
Earl of Northumberland
Henry 'Hotspur' Percy. Northumberland's son
Piers Exton
Bushy, favourite of Richard
Bagot, favourite of Richard
Green, favourite of Richard
Quotes
“This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle, this earth of majesty, this seat of Mars, this other Eden… this precious stone set in the silver sea… this blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England” – John of Gaunt
Richard III
The play begins with Richard describing the accession to the throne of his brother, King Edward IV in 1471, and ends with his death at Bosworth Field in 1485
Richard III is the second longest play in the canon after Hamlet
Characters
King Edward IV
Richard, Duke of Gloucester. Brother to Edward IV; later King Richard III
George, Duke of Clarence. Edward IV's brother
Duchess of York, Edward, Richard and George's mother
Queen Elizabeth, Queen to King Edward IV
Duke of Buckingham
Lady Anne Neville. Widow of Edward of Westminster. Later Queen to King Richard III
Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond. Henry VI's nephew. Later King Henry VII
Lord Stanley, Earl of Derby. Richmond's stepfather
Quotes
“Now is the winter of our discontent / Made glorious summer by this sun of York” – first line, spoken by Richard Gloucester
“A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!” – King Richard (last words)
Tragedies
Antony and Cleopatra
Mark Antony, one of the three rulers of the Roman Empire, spends his time in Egypt, living a life of decadence and conducting an affair with the country’s beautiful queen, Cleopatra. When a message arrives informing him that his wife, Fulvia, is dead and that Pompey is raising an army to rebel against the triumvirate, Antony decides to return to Rome. In Antony’s absence, Octavius Caesar and Lepidus, his fellow triumvirs, worry about Pompey’s increasing strength. Caesar condemns Antony for neglecting his duties as a statesman and military officer in order to live a decadent life by Cleopatra’s side
Characters
Mark Antony, Roman general and one of the triumvirs
Octavius Caesar, a triumvir
Lepidus, a triumvir
Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt
Sextus Pompey, rebel against the triumvirate and son of the late Pompey
Enobarbus
Ventidius
Agrippa
Quotes
"My salad days, When I was green in judgment: cold in blood" – Cleopatra
"Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale / her infinite variety" – Enobarbus
Coriolanus
Coriolanus is based on the life of the legendary Roman leader, Caius Marcius Coriolanus. Coriolanus becomes active in politics and seeks political leadership. His temperament is unsuited for popular leadership and he is quickly deposed, whereupon he aligns himself to set matters straight according to his own will. The alliances he forges to accomplish his own will result in his ultimate downfall and death
Characters
Caius Marcius, later surnamed Coriolanus
Menenius Agrippa, senator of Rome
Cominius, consul and commander-in-chief of the army
Titus Lartius, Roman general
Volumnia, Coriolanus' mother
Virgilia, Coriolanus' wife
Tullus Aufidius, general of the Volscian army
Cymbeline
Imogen is in love with Posthumus Leonatus. The two have secretly married, exchanging jewellery as tokens: a ring from Imogen, a bracelet from Posthumus. Cymbeline has discovered the affair and banishes Posthumus
Also known as Cymbeline, King of Britain or The Tragedy of Cymbeline
Characters
Cymbeline, King of Britain
Imogen/Innogen, Cymbeline's daughter by a former queen, later disguised as the page Fidele
Posthumus Leonatus, Imogen's husband
Pisanio – Posthumus’ servant
Quotes
“I have not slept one wink” – Pisanio
Hamlet
The protagonist of Hamlet is Prince Hamlet of Denmark, son of the recently deceased King Hamlet, and nephew of King Claudius, his father's brother and successor. Claudius hastily married King Hamlet's widow, Gertrude, Hamlet's mother. Denmark has a long-standing feud with neighbouring Norway, and an invasion led by the Norwegian prince, Fortinbras, is expected
Ophelia drowns after Hamlet rejects her
Yorick’s skull is discovered as gravediggers prepare the grave of Ophelia
Laertes – name is apparently taken from the father of Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey
In the final scene, Laertes kills Hamlet with a poisoned foil to avenge the deaths of his father and sister, for which he blamed Hamlet
The Murder of Gonzago – play in Hamlet
Longest Shakespeare play
Hamlet has the most lines spoken by any one character in a single play. Overall, the most lines are spoken by John Falstaff
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark – full title
Written at an uncertain date between 1599 and 1602
Characters
Hamlet, son of the late King and nephew of the present King
Claudius, King of Denmark and Hamlet's uncle
Gertrude, Queen of Denmark and mother to Hamlet
Polonius, Lord Chamberlain
Ophelia, daughter to Polonius
Horatio, friend to Hamlet
Laertes, son to Polonius
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, courtiers and friends to Hamlet
Fortinbras, Prince of Norway
Quotes
“Who’s there?” – first line, spoken by Barnardo
“Go, bid the soldiers shoot” – last line, spoken by Fortinbras
“Alas, poor Yorick, I knew him, Horatio – a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy” – Hamlet
“And to my mind – though I am native here, and to the manner born” – Hamlet
“Ay, springes to catch woodcocks” – Polonius
“Be thou as chaste as ice, as pure as snow, thou shall not escape calumny. Get thee to a nunnery, go, farewell” – Hamlet
“Brevity is the soul of wit” – Polonius
“Frailty thy name is woman” – Hamlet
“Good night, sweet prince” – Horatio
“More matter, with less art” – Gertrude
“Murder most foul” – Ghost
“Neither a borrower or a lender be” – Polonius
“The lady doth protest too much, methinks” – Gertrude
“The play’s the thing wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the King” – Hamlet
“There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance. Pray, love, remember. And there is pansies; that’s for thoughts” – Ophelia
“The rest is silence” – Hamlet
“Though this be madness, yet there is method in't” – Polonius
“To be, or not to be; that is the question: whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles… To die, to sleep. To sleep, perchance to dream. Ay, there’s the rub… when we have shuffled off this mortal coil must give us pause… But that the dread of something after death, the undiscovered Country… Thus conscience does make cowards of us all” – Hamlet’s soliloquy
Julius Caesar
The play depicts the events leading up to the assassination of Julius Caesar on 15 March 44 BC and the aftermath of his death. Marcus Brutus speaks more than four times as many lines as Julius Caesar and the central psychological drama is his struggle between the conflicting demands of honour, patriotism and friendship
Characters
Julius Caesar
Calpurnia, his wife
Marcus Brutus, a noble Roman
Portia, his wife
Lucius, his servant
Marc Antony, triumvir
Octavius Caesar, triumvir
Lepidus, triumvir
Cassius, conspirator against Caesar
Casca. conspirator against Caesar
Quotes
“Beware the ides of March” – Soothsayer
“But I am constant as the Northern Star” – Julius Caesar
“Cry ‘havoc’ and let slip the dogs of war” – Marc Antony
“Et tu, Brute? – then fall Caesar” – Julius Caesar (last words)
“Friends, Romans. Countrymen, lend me your ears… I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him” – Marc Antony
“There is a tide in the affairs of men, which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune” – Brutus
“This was the most unkindest cut of all” – Marc Antony
“This was the noblest Roman of them all” – Marc Antony, referring to Brutus
“Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look. He thinks too much. Such men are dangerous” – Julius Caesar
King Lear
King Lear descends into madness after disposing of his estate between two of his three daughters based on their flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all. Based on the legend of a mythological pre-Roman Celtic king
Characters
Lear, King of Britain
Goneril, Lear's eldest daughter
Regan, Lear's second daughter
Cordelia, Lear's youngest daughter
Duke of Albany, Goneril's husband
Duke of Cornwall, Regan's husband
Earl of Gloucester
Earl of Kent. Later disguised as Caius
Edgar, Gloucester's son
Edmund, Gloucester's illegitimate son
Quotes
“I thought the King had more affected the Duke of Albany than Cornwall” – first line, spoken by Earl of Kent
“Fie, foe, and fum. I smell the blood of a British man” – Edgar
“I am a man more sinned against than sinning” – Lear
“Take physic, pomp, expose thyself to feel what wretches feel” – Lear
“The gods are just, and of our pleasant vices, make instruments to plague us” – Edgar
“The wheel has come full circle” – Edmund
“The younger rises when the old doth fall” – Edmund
“This is the foul fiend Flibbertigibbet; he begins at curfew, and walks ‘til the first cock” – Edgar
Macbeth
Macbeth is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and tells the story of a brave Scottish general named Macbeth who receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders King Duncan and takes the throne for himself. He is then wracked with guilt and paranoia, and he soon becomes a tyrannical ruler.
Ghost of Banquo haunts Macbeth
Macduff kills Macbeth
A crowned child holding a tree states that Macbeth will be safe until Great Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane Hill
Macbeth is commonly dated 1606
Characters
Macbeth, a general in the army of King Duncan. Originally Thane of Glamis, then Thane of Cawdor, and later King of Scotland
Lady Macbeth, Macbeth's wife, and later Queen of Scotland
Duncan, King of Scotland
Malcolm, Duncan's elder son
Donalbain, Duncan's younger son
Banquo, Macbeth's friend and a general in the army of King Duncan
Fleance, Banquo's son
Macduff, Thane of Fife
Siward, general of the English forces
Hecate, queen of the witches
Quotes
“When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain?” – first line, spoken by First Witch
“Whom we invite to see us crowned at Scone” – last line, spoken by Malcolm
“All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand” – Lady Macbeth
“By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes” – Second witch
“Double, double, toil and trouble, fire burn, and cauldron bubble” – Three witches
“Lay on, Macduff” – Macbeth. Often misquoted as “Lead on, Macduff”
“Out damned spot; out, I say” – Lady Macbeth
“Throw physic to the dogs; I’ll none of it” – Macbeth
“To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, creeps in this pretty pace from day to day… all our yesterdays… Out, out, brief candle!” – Macbeth
“Yet I do fear thy nature; it is too full o' th' milk of human kindness” – Lady Macbeth
Othello
Othello revolves around four central characters: Othello, a Moorish general in the Venetian army; his beloved wife, Desdemona; his loyal lieutenant, Cassio; and his trusted but unfaithful ensign, Iago. By subtle innuendo, Iago convinces Othello that Desdemona has slept with Cassio – his deceit results in tragedy
Othello is believed to have been written in approximately 1603, and based on the Italian short story Un Capitano Moro (‘A Moorish Captain’) by Cinthio
The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice – full title
Partly set in Cyprus c. 1570
Characters
Othello, the Moor
Desdemona, Othello's wife
Iago, Othello's ensign
Michael Cassio, Othello's most loved captain
Emilia, Iago's wife and Desdemona's maidservant
Bianca, Cassio's lover
Brabantio, Venetian senator and Desdemona's father
Roderigo, dissolute Venetian, in love with Desdemona
Doge of Venice
Quotes
“Tush, never tell me!” – first line, spoken by Roderigo
“This heavy act with heavy heart relate” – last line, spoken by Lodovico
“But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve, for daws to peck at” – Iago
“Killing myself, to die upon a kiss” – Othello’s last words
“O beware, my lord, of jealousy; it is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on” – Iago
“Pride, pomp and circumstance of glorious war!” – Othello
“To suckle fools, and chronicle small beer” – Iago
“Your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs” – Iago
Romeo and Juliet
The play tells of the feud between the Montagues and the Capulets. Believing Juliet to be dead, Romeo drinks poison. Juliet then awakens and, finding Romeo dead, stabs herself with his dagger. The families are reconciled by their children's deaths and agree to end their feud
Characters
Montague, the patriarch of the house of Montague.
Lady Montague, his wife
Romeo, the son of Montague
Benvolio, Romeo's cousin and best friend
Capulet, the patriarch of the house of Capulet.
Lady Capulet, his wife
Juliet, the 13-year-old daughter of Capulet
Tybalt, a cousin of Juliet and the nephew of Lady Capulet
The Nurse, Juliet's personal attendant and confidante
Rosaline, Lord Capulet's niece, and Romeo's love in the beginning of the story
Prince Escalus, the ruling Prince of Verona
Count Paris, a kinsman of Escalus who wishes to marry Juliet
Mercutio, a kinsman of Escalus and a friend of Romeo
Friar Laurence, a Franciscan friar who marries Romeo and Juliet
Quotes
“Two households, both alike in dignity in fair Verona” – first line, spoken by Chorus
“A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life” – Chorus
“A plague o’ both your houses” – Mercutio
“O happy dagger, this is thy sheath! There rust and let me die” – Juliet (last words)
“O, then, I see Queen Mab hath been with you” – Mercutio
“Parting is such sweet sorrow” – Juliet
“Thus with a kiss I die” – Romeo (last words)
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet” – Juliet
Timon of Athens
Timon of Athens is a collaborative play by William Shakespeare and perhaps Thomas Middleton about the fortunes of Timon, a well beloved citizen of Athens who through tremendous generosity spends his entire fortunes on corrupt hangers-on only interested in getting the next payout
Characters
Timon – a lord of Athens
Alcibiades – captain of a military brigade and good friend to Timon.
Apemantus – a churlish philosopher
Flavius – Timon's chief Steward
Flaminius – one of Timon's servants
Servilius – one of Timon's servants
Lucilius – a romantic youth and Timon's servant
Titus Andronicus
Set during the latter days of the Roman Empire and tells the fictional story of Titus, a general in the Roman army, who is engaged in a cycle of revenge with Tamora, Queen of the Goths. It is thought to be Shakespeare's first tragedy, and is Shakespeare's bloodiest and most violent work
Characters
Titus Andronicus, Roman general
Lucius, Titus's eldest son
Quintus, Titus's son
Martius, Titus's son
Mutius, Titus's son
Marcus Andronicus, Titus's brother and tribune to the people of Rome
Saturninus, son of the late Emperor of Rome. Afterwards declared Emperor
Tamora, Queen of the Goths. Afterwards Empress of Rome
Demetrius, Tamora's son
Chiron, Tamora's son
Aaron, a Moor
Troilus and Cressida
Troilus and Cressida is set during the later years of the Trojan War, faithfully following the plotline of the Iliad from Achilles' refusal to participate in battle to Hector's death. In one plot, Troilus, a Trojan prince (son of Priam), woos Cressida, another Trojan. The majority of the play revolves around the leaders of the Greek and Trojan forces, Agamemnon and Priam respectively
Characters
Priam, King of Troy
Cassandra, daughter of Priam (a prophetess)
Hector, son of Priam
Troilus, son of Priam
Paris, son of Priam
Andromache, Hector's wife
Cressida
Agamemnon, King of the Greeks and leader of the Greek invasion
Achilles, a prince
Ajax, a prince
Ulysses, King of Ithaca. Also referred to as Odysseus
Menelaus, King of Sparta, brother to Agamemnon
Helen, wife to Menelaus, living with Paris
Patroclus, friend of Achilles
Quotes
“A good riddance” – Patroclus
Other works
Shakespeare wrote 37 plays and 154 sonnets
Problem plays – the three plays Shakespeare wrote between the last of his pure comedies (Twelfth Night) and the first of his pure tragedies (Othello). They are All’s Well That Ends Well, Measure for Measure and Troilus and Cressida
The Two Noble Kinsmen, by William Shakespeare and John Fletcher, is a retelling of The Knight's Tale by Chaucer. Sometimes considered the 38th play. The noble kinsmen are Palamon and Arcite, who both fall in love with a jailer’s daughter
Love's Labour's Won is the name of a play written by William Shakespeare before 1598. The play appears to have been published by 1603, but no copies are known to have survived
Cardenio is a lost play, known to have been performed by the King's Men in 1613. The play is attributed to William Shakespeare and John Fletcher
Mr. William Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies is the 1623 published collection of 36 of William Shakespeare's plays. It is commonly referred to it as the First Folio. It was prepared by Shakespeare's colleagues John Heminges and Henry Condell. The Folio includes all of the plays generally accepted to be Shakespeare's, with the exception of Pericles, Prince of Tyre, The Two Noble Kinsmen, and the two lost plays, Cardenio and Love's Labour's Won
The first 17 poems, traditionally called the procreation sonnets, are addressed to a young man urging him to marry and have children
The "Fair Youth" is the unnamed young man to whom sonnets 1–126 are addressed
The Dark Lady sequence (sonnets 127–152), distinguishes itself from the Fair Youth sequence by being overtly sexual in its passion
Sonnet 18 begins ‘Shall I compare thee to a summer's day’
‘Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May’ – from sonnet 18
Shakespeare's poetry, not his plays, reached print first, with the publications of Venus and Adonis in 1593 and The Rape of Lucrece in 1594
William Shakespeare dedicated his first work, the poem Venus and Adonis to his patron, the Earl of Southampton
The Rape of Lucrece draws on the story described in both Ovid's Fasti and Livy's history of Rome. In 509 BC, Sextus Tarquinius, son of Tarquin, the king of Rome, raped Lucretia (Lucrece), wife of Collatinus. As a result, Lucrece committed suicide
Dramatist Ben Jonson's first original play, Every Man in His Humour was performed in 1598 by the Lord Chamberlain's Men, with William Shakespeare in the cast
