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Top 10 Shakespeare PlaysNo doubt every Shakespeare fan has his or her own short list of the Bard's greatest works. Although each play is a treasure that I have enjoyed more than once, I have whittled down my list of favorites to the following ten. For extensive resources please click on the play name.1. Hamlet Since its first recorded production, Hamlet has engrossed playgoers, thrilled readers, and challenged even the most gifted actors. No other single work of fiction has produced more commonly used expressions. If you are sure in your heart of hearts that every dog will have his day, you are echoing the philosopher-prince. 2. Macbeth Each time I read this whirlwind tale of murder, betrayal, and lusty ambition, I find an even greater appreciation for Shakespeare's unsurpassed ability to tell a riveting story with transcendent poetic imagery. In our modern history of tragic theatre, Macbeth has no equal. 3. Julius Caesar Although there were earlier Elizabethan plays on the subject of Julius Caesar and his turbulent rule, Shakespeare's penetrating study of political life in ancient Rome is the only version to recount the demise of Brutus and the other conspirators. 4. The Tempest Hailed as a stunning climax to the career of England's favorite dramatist, The Tempest is a play praising the glories of reconciliation and forgiveness. Some believe that Prospero's final speeches signify Shakespeare's personal adieu from the stage. 5. 1 Henry IV Many believe 1 Henry IV to be Shakespeare's greatest history play. The unforgettable characters Hotspur, Prince Hal, King Henry, and the jovial John Falstaff affirm John Dryden's assertion that Shakespeare was "the man who of all modern, and perhaps ancient poets, had the largest and most comprehensive soul." 6. King Lear Despite the relatively simple primary plot -- an aging monarch who decides to divide his kingdom amongst his three daughters -- King Lear is the most complex and analytical of all Shakespeare's great tragedies. The play is an efficacious exploration of the boundlessness of evil, suffering, and love. 7. Romeo and Juliet Celebrated for the radiance of its lyric poetry, Romeo and Juliet was tremendously popular from its first performance. The sweet whispers shared by young Tudor lovers throughout the realm were often referred to as "naught but pure Romeo and Juliet." 8. King John In the shadow of Shakespeare's second tetralogy of history plays lies this neglected masterpiece. The play is cursed with the egregious reputation of being Shakespeare's great artistic failure. Never has a work so remarkable been so consistently underrated. With its vigorous plot, immortal verse, and subtle combination of Tudor and Machiavellian theories on kingship, King John is worthy of rediscovery. 9. Much Ado About Nothing The happy conclusion of Much Ado About Nothing is the reason we classify the play as a comedy. However, the true humor in the drama is left to the remarkable collection of supporting characters who dazzle us with wit and confound us with absurdity. 10. The Winter's Tale The Winter's Tale is considered a romantic comedy, but tragic elements are interwoven throughout the play. First produced at the Globe around 1610, it is one of Shakespeare's final plays. For a first-hand account of the staging of The Winter's Tale in Shakespeare's London, please click here. How to cite this article: __________ More Resources  Shakespeare's Reputation in Elizabethan England Quotations About William Shakespeare Portraits of Shakespeare Shakespeare's Sexuality Shakespeare's Boss: The Master of Revels Hamlet Essays and Study Guide Macbeth Essays and Study Guide Othello Essays and Study Guide Romeo and Juliet Essays and Study Guide Julius Caesar Essays and Study Guide Shakespeare's Metaphors and Similes Shakespeare's Blank Verse Elements of Comedy How many plays did Shakespeare write? Shakespeare Timeline Edward Alleyn (Actor) William Kempe (Actor) What is Tragic Irony? Characteristics of Elizabethan Tragedy
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More to Explore The Chronology of Shakespeare's Plays
Establishing the Order of the Plays Settings of Shakespeare's Plays by Location Historical Settings of Shakespeare's Plays by Date Shakespeare in Old English?
Shakespeare's Influence on Other Writers Daily Life in Shakespeare's London Life in Stratford (structures and guilds) Life in Stratford (trades, laws, furniture, hygiene) Stratford School Days: What Did Shakespeare Read? Games in Shakespeare's England [A-L] Games in Shakespeare's England [M-Z] An Elizabethan Christmas Clothing in Elizabethan England Queen Elizabeth: Shakespeare's Patron King James I of England: Shakespeare's Patron The Earl of Southampton: Shakespeare's Patron Going to a Play in Elizabethan London Ben Jonson and the Decline of the Drama Publishing in Elizabethan England Shakespeare's Audience Religion in Shakespeare's England Alchemy and Astrology in Shakespeare's Day Entertainment in Elizabethan England London's First Public Playhouse Shakespeare's Boss Shakespeare's Audience Shakespeare Hits the Big Time
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Shakespeare was familiar with seven foreign languages and often quoted them directly in his plays. His vocabulary was the largest of any writer, at over twenty-four thousand words. According to James Davie Butler, "the total vocabulary of Milton's poetical remains is more nearly seventeen than eighteen thousand (17,377); and that of Homer, including the hymns as well as both Iliad and Odyssey, is scarcely nine thousand. Five thousand eight hundred and sixty words exhaust the vocabulary of Dante's Divina Comedia." (The Once Used Words in Shakespeare)
Richard Shakespeare, Shakespeare's paternal grandfather, was a farmer in the small village of Snitterfield, located four miles from Stratford. Records show that Richard worked on several different farms which he leased from various landowners. Coincidentally, Richard leased land from Robert Arden, Shakespeare's maternal grandfather. ©1999-2021 Shakespeare Online. All Rights Reserved.