A Guide to Shakespeare Plays and Poems

This edition of The Sonnets is edited with an introduction by John Hollander. Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets published in quarto in 1609, in addition to six additional sonnets that appear throughout his plays. The sonnets range in themes from love, lust, beauty, time, infidelity, and mortality.

The Two Gentlemen of Verona is a comedy believed to have been one of Shakespeare’s first plays. Valentine leaves Verona for Milan, where he falls in love with Sylvia. Proteus, sent by his father to follow Valentine, also falls for Sylvia, betraying his love for Julia. Sylvia plans to elope with Valentine, but Proteus informs the duke, causing Valentine’s banishment. Meanwhile, Julia, disguised as a page, arrives in Milan. Proteus continues to pursue Sylvia, but eventually realizes his mistakes. Valentine rescues Sylvia from Proteus, and Proteus repents. The duke approves Valentine’s suit for Sylvia, and all return to Milan, reconciling and pardoning past wrongs.

Richard II is the first part of a tetralogy, followed by Henry IV, Part 1; Henry IV, Part 2; and Henry V. A historical play, it follows King Richard II as he banishes Thomas Mowbray and Henry Bolingbroke for high treason. While Mowbray is permanently banished, Bolingbroke is sentenced to a 10-year banishment that is reduced to six years upon seeing John of Gaunt’s grieving face. Noble land is seized to fund wars, and Bolingbroke returns to England to reclaim his land and lay claim to the throne. Bolingbroke gathers an army to oppose Richard and dispose of him. Bolingbroke is successful and becomes Henry IV, and imprisons and murders Richard.

The second part of a tetralogy, preceded by Richard II and followed by Henry IV, Part 2, and Henry V. While Prince Hal, eldest son of Henry IV, spends his time lollygagging in taverns, King Henry IV argues with his former ally Hotspur. Hotspur and Henry have a falling out that spurns Hotspur to gather a rebellion. The rebellion emboldens Prince Hal, and Henry and his son go to battle against Hotspur, crushing the rebellion and killing Hotspur.

Another one of Shakespeare’s history plays, King Henry IV is suffering from illness, and his youngest son, Prince John, fights the rebels. Meanwhile, Prince Hal prepares to be King while his friend Falstaff causes trouble, recruits, and gossips about Hal. As Henry dies and Hal becomes King Henry V, he banishes Falstaff from court and prepares to wage war on France. This is the third part of a tetralogy, preceded by Richard II and Henry IV, Part I. It is followed by Henry V.

A historical play based on King Henry V of England, it is the final part of a tetralogy, preceded by Richard II, Henry IV, Part 1, and Henry IV, Part 2. After being insulted by the French Dauphin, King Henry V invades France to claim the throne he believes should be his. As war rages on, the Earl of Cambridge and his two comrades attempt to assassinate Henry at Southampton, but Henry uncovers the plot and foils the plan. Despite being outnumbered, the English shockingly defeat the French. In the aftermath of the war, Henry woos the French princess Katherine and unites the two nations.

Based on the life of Henry VIII, this historical play follows King Henry VIII and his relationship with confidant Cardinal Wolsey, whom King Henry VIII entrusts with too much power. Wolsey uses the power to convict a duke of treason, causing chaos in the court. Meanwhile, Henry meets Anne Boleyn and is so enamored that he divorces his wife, Katharine, and marries Anne. Anne gives birth to Princess Elizabeth, whom the Archbishop prophesies will become great.

One of Shakespeare’s last two tragedies, Roman general Coriolanus makes his fame defeating an enemy army and defending Rome. The Senate nominates him as consul, but Coriolanus is unable to win the people’s vote, thereby he is banished from Rome. Coriolanus then allies with his old enemy and returns to Rome seeking vengeance. His mother persuades Coriolanus not to attack Rome, thus his newfound ally kills him for his betrayal.

The Comedy of Errors is one of Shakespeare’s earliest and shortest plays. A farcical comedy, the play follows a pair of twins who have been separated in a shipwreck. Antipholus and his slave Dromio go to Ephesus to find their twins. Upon their arrival, a series of mishaps occur based on mistaken identities. Ultimately, the twins find each other and their parents, and the problems are resolved.

An early comedy of Shakespeare’s, the play follows the King of Navarre and his three companions swearing off the company of women for three years in order to focus on study and fasting. Their infatuation with the Princess of France and her ladies makes them break their oath, leading to a death that causes the delay of all weddings for a year.

One of Shakespeare’s tragedies, Troilus and Cressida, begins at Troy during the Trojan War. Trojan prince Troilus falls in love with Cressida as the war rages on around them. After vowing faithfulness, Cressida is forced to leave Troy to join her father in the Greek camp, where she agrees to see another man. Troilus sees Cressida’s unfaithfulness and vows to turn his focus to the war. As the war continues on, any resolution seems unlikely.

The tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra follows the relationship between Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, and Mark Antony, one of the three rulers of Rome. When Antony is summoned back to Rome, he clashes with Octavius Caesar before returning to Cleopatra in Egypt. Now in a battle with Octavius, Antony and Cleopatra suffer losses and miscommunication, eventually leading to death and suicide.

This comedy centers on the tyrannical and puritan Angelo, who has been entrusted to rule the city of Vienna in the absence of Duke Vincentio. Duke Vincentio, in actuality, has disguised himself as a friar to observe Angelo’s regency and his citizens’ lives. Angelo quickly condemns Claudio to death for immoral behavior. Angelo falls madly in love with Claudio’s sister, Isabella, who is a chaste nun. Angelo offers to pardon Claudio if he can convince Isabella to sleep with him. Isabella agrees, but plots to switch places with Angelo’s fiancée. Soo,n the Duke returns and spares Claudio, punishes Angelo, and proposes to Isabella.

One of Shakespeare’s plays that has been considered both a comedy and a romance, it follows the jealous King Leontes of Sicily, who falsely accuses his wife Hermione of infidelity with his best friend. She dies, and Leontes exiles his newborn daughter Perdita, who is raised by shepherds for sixteen years. As she falls in love with Prince Florizel, they both return to Sicily, sparking a statue of Hermione to come to life.

A pastoral comedy, As You Like It follows Rosalind and her cousin, Celia, escaping persecution from her Uncle’s court into the Forest of Arden. In the forest, they encounter a variety of characters, including Orlando, Rosalind’s love. Rosalind disguises herself as a boy shepherd who counsels Orlando in an attempt to cure him of being in love. Rosalind, still disguised as the shepherd, says that he will take Rosalind’s place and that he and Orlando can act out their relationship. Hilarity ensues as each of their characters stumbles through the path of love.

The tragedy of Richard III follows the Machiavellian rise to power and short reign of King Richard III of England. The youngest brother of King Edward IV of England, Richard of Gloucester is an ugly and ignored hunchback. He is determined to become king and murders his brothers, nephews, and any opposition to his quest. At the death of his brother, Richard marries his brother’s widow, Lady Anne. Henry of Richmond raises an army against Richard and, in his success, becomes King Henry VII.

The comedy Much Ado About Nothing is set in Messina and revolves around the romantic pairings of Count Claudio and Hero, and Hero’s cousin Beatrice and Benedict. Through a series of misunderstandings, mistaken identities, and witty banter, Claudio and Hero’s love is tested by a villainous plot while Beatrice and Benedict are reluctant to admit their feelings for each other.

A tragedy filled with violence, revenge, and betrayal, this story follows Titus, a Roman general, who returns victorious from war only to face a series of devastating betrayals. His daughter, Lavinia, experiences a brutal assault, and Titus seeks revenge on those responsible. As power struggles and vengeance escalate, the characters are consumed by their desires for revenge, leading to tragic and brutal conclusions.

One of Shakespeare’s comedies, this play follows Antonio, a merchant in Venice, who borrows money from the Jewish moneylender Shylock to help his friend Bassanio. When Antonio cannot repay the debt, Shylock demands a pound of his flesh as collateral. Portia, a rich heiress and later the wife of Bassanio, disguises herself as a lawyer and saves Antonio by arguing that Shylock is entitled to his pound of flesh, but not a drop of blood.

One of Shakespeare’s iconic tragedies, the play follows the conspiracy to assassinate Julius Caesar. Led by Cassius and Brutus, both are afraid of Caesar’s rise to absolute power. After Caesar’s death, Rome descends into chaos and civil war, leading to a battle between Brutus and his conspirators and Caesar’s supporters, Marc Antony and Octavius.

The Tempest tells the story of Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan, who uses magic to orchestrate events on a mysterious island. After a shipwreck brings his betrayers – his brother Antonio and King Alonso – onto the island, Prospero seeks revenge. Prospero eventually finds a way to forgive as his daughter, Miranda, falls in love with Alonso’s son, Ferdinand.

The Taming of the Shrew is a comedy about the courtship of Katherina, a strong-willed woman, and Petruchio, a determined suitor. To win her hand, Petruchio uses unconventional methods to woo Katherina’s rebellious nature. Meanwhile, her younger sister Bianca has suitors vying for her attention, suitors who cannot court her until her older sister Katherina marries. In the end, Lucentio marries Bianca, and Katherina proves to be an obedient wife.

A tragic play about the Moorish general Othello, whose life unravels due to jealousy and manipulation. Iago, Othello’s ensign, is furious about being overlooked for promotion, so he deceives Othello into believing his wife, Desdemona, is unfaithful. Consumed by jealousy, Othello’s trust in Desdemona falters, leading to tragedy. Iago’s deceit and Othello’s insecurities culminate in a devastating act of violence.

A romance comedy that intertwines love, magic, and mistaken identities, A Midsummer Night’s Dream follows four Athenian lovers and a group of amateur actors who find themselves in a magic forest. The fairy king Oberon and his servant Puck use magic to meddle with their relationship, and chaos ensues as the love lives of the characters are turned upside down.

A comedy about mistaken identities, love, and mischief, Viola, shipwrecked and separated from her twin brother, disguises herself as a man, Cesario, and enters the service of Duke Orsino. Orsino sends Cesario to win the affections of Countess Olivia on his behalf, but Olivia falls in love with Cesario instead. Meanwhile, Viola secretly falls for Duke Orsino. Confusion abounds with more mistaken identities and love triangles in each of the characters’ search for happiness.

The young Prince Hamlet sees the ghost of his father, the King of Denmark, who tells him to avenge his murder by killing the new king, Hamlet’s uncle, Claudius. Hamlet struggles with doubt, indecision, and moral conflict as he plots to expose Claudius’ guilt. A chain of events leads to a duel that ends in tragedy.

The aging King Lear decides to divide his kingdom between his two older daughters, Goneril and Regan, based on their flattery of him. While his youngest daughter, Cordelia, is banished despite her genuine love for her father. Betrayed by Goneril and Regan, Lear descends into madness as he realizes the consequences of his decision. Meanwhile, Cordelia returns to defend him, but it is too late; tragedy strikes.

In this Shakespearean tragedy, three witches foretell that the Scottish general, Macbeth, will become the King of Scotland. Encouraged by his wife, Macbeth kills the King and seizes the throne. Consumed by guilt and paranoia, Macbeth descends into tyranny and continues to murder to secure his power. As his reign unravels, he is faced with a rebellion and the downfall he was trying to avoid all along.

An iconic romantic tragedy and one of Shakespeare’s most well-known plays, Romeo and Juliet are star-crossed lovers from feuding families in fair Verona. Romeo, a Montague, and Juliet, a Capulet, fall in love at first sight and secretly marry. Miscommunication and a series of unfortunate events lead to Romeo killing Juliet’s cousin Tybalt, and he is banished. Believing Juliet to be dead, Romeo takes his own life. When Juliet awakens from her false death and finds her love has killed himself, she takes her own life as well.

One of Shakespeare’s history plays, it is set during the lifetime of King Henry VI of England. After the death of Henry V and while Henry VI is still young, nobles rule England and fight the French. As Henry VI becomes King, the noble houses begin to divide and take sides between York and Lancaster. As the war with France winds down, Henry tries to find a wife, and the nobles disagree about who he should choose. This is the first play in Shakespeare’s tetralogy covering the entire War of the Roses saga.