William Shakespeare (National Portrait Gallery), in the famous Chandos portrait, artist and authenticity unconfirmed.

There are few facts known with certainty about William Shakespeare's life. The best-documented facts are that Shakespeare was baptised in Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, England, April 26, 1564, at age 18 married Anne Hathaway, had three children, and died on April 23, 1616 at the age of 52. Shakespeare is one of the first playwrights known to have retired before he died. Image File history File links Shakespeare. ... Image File history File links Shakespeare. ... The National Portrait Gallery is an art gallery in central London which was opened in 1856. ... The Chandos portrait, popularly believed to depict William Shakespeare (in a 20th century reproduction) The Chandos portrait is one of the most famous of the portraits that may depict William Shakespeare (1564–1616). ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Baptism is a water purification ritual practiced in certain religions such as Christianity, Mandaeanism, Sikhism, and some historic sects of Judaism. ... Stratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon is a town in Warwickshire, England. ... A detailed map Stratford-upon-Avon Kenilworth Castle Warwickshire (pronounced // or //) is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in central England. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... is the 116th day of the year (117th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events March 27 — Naples bans kissing in public under the penalty of death June 22 — Fort Caroline, the first French attempt at colonizing the New World September 10 — The Battle of Kawanakajima Ottoman Turks invade Malta Modern pencil becomes common in England Conquistadors crossed the Pacific Spanish founded a colony... This article is about William Shakespeares wife. ... is the 113th day of the year (114th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1616 (MDCXVI) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Monday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ...

Early life

William Shakespeare (also spelled Shakspere, Shaksper and Shake-speare, as spelling in Elizabethan times was not fixed and absolute)^[1] was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, a small country town, the son of John Shakespeare, a successful glover and alderman from Snitterfield, and of Mary Arden, a daughter of the gentry. They lived on Henley Street, having married around 1557. The date of his birth is not known, but his baptismal record was dated April 26, 1564. This is the first official record of Shakespeare,as birth certificates were not issued in the time of Queen Elizabeth. Because baptisms were normally performed within a few days of birth, a tradition arose that he was born on April 23, but this has no historical basis. It is the Feast Day of Saint George, the patron saint of England, which might seem appropriate for England's greatest playwright. This date provides a convenient symmetry because Shakespeare died on the same day, April 23 (May 3 on the Gregorian calendar), in 1616. Elizabethan redirects here. ... Stratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon is a town in Warwickshire, England. ... Insert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non... Snitterfield is a village and civil parish in the Stratford district of Warwickshire, England, just off the A46 road, between Coventry and Stratford upon Avon. ... Mary Ardens House today For the English Court of Appeal judge, see Mary Arden (judge) Mary Arden (c. ... Landed gentry is a term traditionally applied in Britain to members of the upper class with country estates often (but not always) farmed on their behalf by others, and who might be without a peerage or other hereditary title. ... is the 116th day of the year (117th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events March 27 — Naples bans kissing in public under the penalty of death June 22 — Fort Caroline, the first French attempt at colonizing the New World September 10 — The Battle of Kawanakajima Ottoman Turks invade Malta Modern pencil becomes common in England Conquistadors crossed the Pacific Spanish founded a colony... Elizabeth I redirects here. ... is the 113th day of the year (114th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organising a liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with a saint, and referring to the day as the saints day of that saint. ... Saint-George is a municipality with 695 inhabitants (as of 2003) in the district of Aubonne in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland. ... Saint Quentin is the patron saint of locksmiths and is also invoked against coughs and sneezes. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... is the 113th day of the year (114th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 123rd day of the year (124th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the calendar of religious holidays and periods, see liturgical year. ...

Shakespeare's parents had eight children: Joan (1558), Margaret (1562-63), William, Gilbert (1566-1612), Joan (1569-1646), Anne (1571-79), Richard (1574-1613), and Edmund (1580-1607).^[2]

The house in Stratford known as 'Shakespeare's Birthplace (although this status is uncertain).

Shakespeare's father, prosperous at the time of William's birth, was prosecuted for participating in the black market in wool, and later lost his position as an alderman. Some evidence pointed to possible Roman Catholic sympathies on both sides of the family.^[3] Download high resolution version (1280x960, 252 KB)House where Shakespeare was born. ... Download high resolution version (1280x960, 252 KB)House where Shakespeare was born. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into underground economy. ... For other uses, see Wool (disambiguation). ... An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions. ... Catholic Church redirects here. ...

Shakespeare probably attended King Edward VI Grammar School in central Stratford.^[4] The King honored in the school's name (Edward VI) had nothing to do with the original founding of the school, which had Roman Catholic origins. It had been established in the early 15th century, far before Edward's time.^[5] While the quality of Elizabethan era grammar schools was uneven, the school probably would have provided an intensive education in Latin grammar and literature. As a part of this education, the students would likely have been exposed to Latin plays, in which students performed to better understand the language. One of Shakespeare's earliest plays, The Comedy of Errors, bears similarity to Plautus The Two Menaechmuses, which could well have been performed at the school.^[6] It is presumed that the young Shakespeare attended this school,^[7] although his attendance cannot be confirmed because the school's records have not survived. This school, which made frequent use of corporal punishment, was free to male children in Stratford dating from an endowment by a Catholic chaplain in 1482.^[8] There is no evidence that his formal education extended beyond grammar school. (14th century - 15th century - 16th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 15th century was that century which lasted from 1401 to 1500. ... Elizabethan redirects here. ... A grammar school is a school that may, depending on regional usage as exemplified below, provide either secondary education or, a much less common usage, primary education (also known as elementary). Grammar schools trace their origins back to medieval Europe, as schools in which university preparatory subjects, such as Latin... For other uses, see Latins and Latin (disambiguation). ... For the rules of the English language, see English grammar. ... Poster for a performance The Comedy of Errors is one of William Shakespeares early plays, written between 1592 and 1594. ... Corporal punishment is the deliberate infliction of pain and suffering intended to change a persons behavior or to punish them. ...

Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway (who was 26) at the age of 18, on November 29, 1582 at Temple Grafton, near Stratford. Two neighbours of Hathaway, Fulk Sandalls and John Richardson, posted bond that there were no impediments to the marriage. There appears to have been some haste in arranging the ceremony: Hathaway was three months pregnant. This article is about William Shakespeares wife. ... is the 333rd day of the year (334th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Gregorian Calendar switch: Year 1582 involved conversion to the Gregorian calendar. ... Temple Grafton is a village near Alcester, which lies within the Stratford-upon-Avon district of Warwickshire, England. ...

On May 26, 1583, Shakespeare's first child, Susanna, was baptised at Stratford. Twin children, a son, Hamnet, and a daughter, Judith, were baptised on February 2, 1585. Hamnet died in 1596, Susanna in 1649 and Judith in 1662. is the 146th day of the year (147th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1583 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. ... Susanna Shakespeare (November 1582–1648), later Susanna Hall, was the eldest child of William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway. ... Hamnets death record Hamnet Shakespeare (baptized February 2, 1585 – buried August 11, 1596) was the only son of William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway, and the fraternal twin of Judith Shakespeare. ... Judith Shakespeares pigtail signature. ... is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1585 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. ...

After his marriage, Shakespeare left few traces in the historical record until he appeared on the London theatrical scene. Indeed, the period from 1585 (when his twin children were born) until 1592 (when Robert Greene called him an "upstart crow") is known as Shakespeare's "lost years" because no evidence has survived to show exactly where he was or why he left Stratford for London.^[9] A number of stories are given to account for his life during this time, including that Shakespeare got in trouble for poaching deer, that he worked as a country school teacher, and that he minded the horses of theatre patrons in London. There is no direct evidence to support any of these stories and they all appeared to have started after Shakespeare's death.^[10] This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... 1585 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. ... Year 1592 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Saturday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... For other uses, see Poaching (disambiguation). ... This article is about the ruminent animal. ...

The theory that Shakespeare acted as a schoolmaster in Lancashire was proposed by E. A. J. Honigmann in 1985, founded on evidence in the will of a member of the Hoghton family, referring to plays and play-clothes and asking his kinsman to take care of "...William Shakeshaft, now dwelling with me...".^[11] The asserted nexus was John Cottom, Shakespeare's reputed last schoolmaster, who was purported to have recommended the Bard.^[12][13] Michael Wood points out that Thomas Savage, Shakespeare's trustee at the Globe some twenty years later, was related by marriage to a neighbour to whom the will was also addressed. He allows, however, that Shakeshaft was a common name in Lancashire at the time.^[14] Ackroyd adds that study of the marginal notes in the Hoghton family copy of Edward Hall's Chronicles, an important source for Shakespeare's early histories, shows that they were in "probability" in Shakespeare's writing.^[15] Michael Wood reading from an edition of the Domesday Book in a BBC Four documentary about Gilbert White Michael Wood (born Michael David Wood, July 23, 1948 in Manchester) is a popular English historian and broadcaster, presenter of numerous television documentary series. ... Peter Ackroyd (born October 5, 1949, London) is an English author. ... Edward Hall (c. ...

London and theatrical career

By 1592, Shakespeare was a playwright in London; he had enough of a reputation for Robert Greene to denounce him as "an upstart crow, beautified with our feathers, that with his Tygers hart wrapt in a Players hyde, supposes he is as well able to bombast out a blanke verse as the best of you: and being an absolute Johannes factotum, is in his owne conceit the onely Shake-scene in a countrey." (The italicized line parodies the phrase, "Oh, tiger's heart wrapped in a woman's hide" which Shakespeare wrote in Henry VI, part 3.) Robert Greene Robert Greene, BA, MA, (1558 – September 3, 1592) was an English playwright, poet, pamphleteer, and prose writer. ... Henry VI Part III is the third of William Shakespeares plays set during the lifetime of King Henry VI of England, and prepares the ground for one of his best-known and most controversial plays: the tragedy of King Richard III (Richard III of England). ...

Shakespeare's signature, from his will

By late 1594, Shakespeare was an actor, writer and part-owner of a playing company, known as the Lord Chamberlain's Men — like others of the period, the company took its name from its aristocratic sponsor, in this case the Lord Chamberlain. The group became popular enough that after the death of Elizabeth I and the coronation of James I (1603), the new monarch adopted the company and it became known as the King's Men. Shakespeare's writing shows him to indeed be an actor, with many phrases, words, and references to acting, but there isn't an academic approach to the art of theatre that might be expected.^[16] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... In Renaissance London, playing company was the usual term for a company of actors. ... The Lord Chamberlains Men was the playing company that William Shakespeare worked for as actor and playwright for most of his career. ... The Lord Chamberlain or Lord Chamberlain of the Household is one of the chief officers of the Royal Household in the United Kingdom, and is to be distinguished from the Lord Great Chamberlain, one of the Great Officers of State. ... Elizabeth I redirects here. ... James VI and I (19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scots as James VI, and King of England and King of Ireland as James I. He ruled in Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567, when he was only one year old, succeeding his mother Mary... It has been suggested that Lord Chamberlains Men be merged into this article or section. ...

Shakespeare's Coat of Arms

Despite this lack of academia, Shakespeare long sought the status of a gentleman. His father John, a bailiff of Stratford with a wife of good birth, was eligible for a coat of arms and applied to the College of Heralds for one. But his worsening financial status prevented him from obtaining it. The application was successfully renewed in 1596, most probably at the instigation of William himself, as he was the more prosperous at the time. However as an actor he was not eligible and the application still relied on his father's qualifications. The motto on the coat of arms was "Non sanz droit", or "Not without right", showing a certain defensiveness and insecurity on the part of its author; most likely William. The theme of social status and restoration runs deep through the plots of many of his plays, and Shakespeare seems to mock his own longing. ^[17] A modern coat of arms is derived from the medi val practice of painting designs onto the shield and outer clothing of knights to enable them to be identified in battle, and later in tournaments. ...

Nash's House, Stratford-on-Avon, standing adjacent to the site of New Place, Shakespeare's home

By 1596, Shakespeare had moved to the parish of St. Helen's, Bishopsgate, and by 1598 he appeared at the top of a list of actors in Every Man in His Humour written by Ben Jonson. Also by 1598, his name began to appear on the title pages of his plays, presumably as a selling point. Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 455 KB) Taken by Burn the asylum, February 2004. ... Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 455 KB) Taken by Burn the asylum, February 2004. ... New Place is the name given to William Shakespeares final place of residence in Stratford-upon-Avon during his retirement. ... Looking north from a pedestrian bridge across Bishopsgate Bishopsgate, in the heart of Londons financial district. ... Every Man in His Humour was a 1598 play by British playwright Ben Jonson. ... For other persons of the same name, see Ben Johnson (disambiguation). ...

There is a tradition that Shakespeare, in addition to writing many of the plays his company enacted, and being concerned as part-owner of the company with business and financial details, continued to act in various parts, such as the ghost of Hamlet's father, Adam in As You Like It, and the Chorus in Henry V.^[18] Walter Deverell,The Mock Marriage of Orlando and Rosalind, 1853 William Shakespeares As You Like It is a pastoral comedy written in 1599 or early 1600. ... Title page of the first quarto (1600) Henry V, also known as The Cronicle History of Henry the fift, is a play by William Shakespeare based on the life of King Henry V of England. ...

He appears to have moved across the River Thames to Southwark sometime around 1599. In 1604, Shakespeare acted as a matchmaker for his landlord's daughter. Legal documents from 1612, when the case was brought to trial, show that in 1604, Shakespeare was a tenant of Christopher Mountjoy, a Huguenot tire-maker (a maker of ornamental headdresses) in the northwest of London. Mountjoy's apprentice Stephen Belott wanted to marry Mountjoy's daughter. Shakespeare was enlisted as a go-between, to help negotiate the details of the dowry. On Shakespeare's assurances, the couple married. Eight years later, Belott sued his father-in-law for delivering only part of the dowry. Shakespeare was called to testify, but remembered little of the circumstances. On this case see article 'Bellott v. Mountjoy'. This article is about the River Thames in southern England. ... For other places with the same name, see Southwark (disambiguation). ... From the 16th to the 18th century the name Huguenot was applied to a member of the Protestant Reformed Church of France, historically known as the French Calvinists. ... The case of Bellott v. ...

Various documents recording legal affairs and commercial transactions show that Shakespeare grew rich enough during his stay in London years to buy a property in Blackfriars, London and own the second-largest house in Stratford, New Place. The London Marathon passes through Blackfriars in 2005 Blackfriars is an area of central London, which lies in the south-west corner of the City of London. ... New Place is the name given to William Shakespeares final place of residence in Stratford-upon-Avon during his retirement. ...

Later years

Shakespeare's funerary monument

Shakespeare's House in Stratford-Upon-Avon. Now home of the Shakespeare's Birthplace Trust

Shakespeare appears to have retired to Stratford in 1613. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Shakespeares funerary monument William Shakespeares funerary monument is located inside Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, UK, the same church in which he was baptised. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 750 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1280 × 1024 pixel, file size: 127 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) I did not take this picture myself in Stratford-Upon-Avon. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 750 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1280 × 1024 pixel, file size: 127 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) I did not take this picture myself in Stratford-Upon-Avon. ...

In the last few weeks of Shakespeare's life, the man who was to marry his younger daughter Judith — a tavern-keeper named Thomas Quiney — was charged in the local church court with "fornication." A woman named Margaret Wheeler had given birth to a child and claimed it was Quiney's; she and the child both died soon after. Quiney was thereafter disgraced, and Shakespeare revised his will to ensure that Judith's interest in his estate was protected from possible malfeasance on Quiney's part. Fornication, or simple fornication, is a term which refers to consensual sexual intercourse between two persons not married to each other[1]. In contrast adultery is consensual sex where one or both of the partners are married to someone else. ...

He died on April 23, 1616 , apparently from an infection contracted by consuming spoiled herring, at the age of 52. Supposedly Shakespeare died on his birthday, if the tradition that he was born on April 23 is correct. He was married to Anne Hathaway until his death and was survived by two daughters, Susanna and Judith. His son Hamnet had died in 1596. Susanna married Dr John Hall, and his last surviving descendant was their daughter Elizabeth Hall. There are no direct descendants of the poet and playwright alive today. It was rumoured, however, that Shakespeare was the real father of his godson, William Davenant. is the 113th day of the year (114th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1616 (MDCXVI) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Monday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... This article is about William Shakespeares wife. ... John Hall (died 1635) was a physician and son-in-law of William Shakespeare. ... William Davenant Sir William Davenant (February 28, 1606 - April 7, 1668), also spelled DAvenant, was an English poet and playwright. ...

Shakespeare is buried in the chancel of Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon. He was granted the honour of burial in the chancel not on account of his fame as a playwright but for purchasing a share of the tithe of the church for £440 (a considerable sum of money at the time). A monument on the wall nearest his grave, probably placed by his family, ^[19] features a bust showing Shakespeare posed in the act of writing. Each year on his claimed birthday, a new quill pen is placed in the writing hand of the bust. He is believed to have written the epitaph on his tombstone. This article is about an architectural feature; for the astronomical term see apsis. ... Holy Trinitys east window from the exterior, depicting St Andrew Holy Trinitys window from inside Plan of Holy Trinity Church Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon, has achieved fame as the place of baptism and burial of William Shakespeare. ... Stratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon is a town in Warwickshire, England. ... A tithe (from Old English teogoþa tenth) is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a (usually) voluntary contribution or as a tax or levy, usually to support a Jewish or Christian religious organization. ... William Shakespeares funeral monument is located inside Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, UK, the same church in which he was baptised. ... Bust of Richard Bently by Roubiliac A bust is a sculpture depicting a persons chest, shoulders, and head, usually supported by a stand. ... For other uses, see Epitaph (disambiguation). ...

Popular legend claims that unpublished works by Shakespeare may lie inside his tomb,^{[citation needed]} but no one has ever verified these claims.

Shakespeare's family tree

Richard Shakespeare was a native of Snitterfield. ... Insert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non... Mary Ardens House today For the English Court of Appeal judge, see Mary Arden (judge) Mary Arden (c. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... This article is about William Shakespeares wife. ... William Hart (March 31, 1823 - June 17, 1894), American landscape and cattle painter, was born in Paisley, Scotland, and was taken to America in early youth. ... For other people with similar names, see John Hall (disambiguation) John Hall (died 1635) was a physician and son-in-law of William Shakespeare. ... Susanna Shakespeare (November 1582–1648), later Susanna Hall, was the eldest child of William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway. ... Hamnets death record Hamnet Shakespeare (baptized February 2, 1585 – buried August 11, 1596) was the only son of William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway, and the fraternal twin of Judith Shakespeare. ... Judith Shakespeares pigtail signature. ... Illustration of Quiney family coat of arms. ... Elizabeth Hall Nash Barnard (baptised February 21st, 1608 - February 17th, 1670) was the granddaughter of the famous English-poet William Shakespeare, and was also his last direct descendant. ...

See also

• William Shakespeare
• Elizabethan era
• Shakespeare's reputation
• Shakespeare's religion
• Shakespearean authorship
• Sexuality of William Shakespeare
• Shakespeare's plays
• Shakespeare's sonnets
• Anne Hathaway
• Shakespeare's Late Romances
• Chronology of Shakespeare plays
• Shakespeare's England
• Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
• Shakespeare's Way

Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Elizabethan redirects here. ... This article or section includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... William Shakespeare (National Portrait Gallery), in the famous Chandos portrait, artist and authenticity unconfirmed. ... The frontispiece of the First Folio (1623), the first collected edition of Shakespeares plays From 1593 to 1637, a number of plays and poems were published under the name William Shakespeare or, in many cases, hyphenated as Shake-Speare. The company that performed most of these plays, the Lord... William Shakespeare (National Portrait Gallery), in the famous Chandos portrait, artist and authenticity unconfirmed. ... Sir John Gilberts 1849 painting: The Plays of William Shakespeare, containing scenes and characters from several of William Shakespeares plays. ... Title page from 1609 edition of Shake-Speares Sonnets Dedication page from The Sonnets Shakespeares sonnets, or simply The Sonnets, is a collection of poems in sonnet form written by William Shakespeare that deal with such themes as love, beauty, politics, and mortality. ... This article is about William Shakespeares wife. ... The late romances, often simply called the romances, are a grouping of William Shakespeares later plays, including Pericles, Prince of Tyre, Cymbeline, The Winters Tale, and The Tempest. ... The precise chronology of Shakespeares plays as they were first written and performed is impossible to determine, as there is no authoritative record and many of the plays were performed many years before they were published. ... Elizabeth ushers in Peace and Plenty. ... This article is about the original Globe Theatre of Shakespeare and the modern reconstruction in London known as Shakespeares Globe Theatre. ...

References and Notes

Sir Walter Wilson Greg (9 July 1875–4 March 1959) was one of the leading bibliographers and Shakespeare scholars of the 20th century. ... Peter Ackroyd (born October 5, 1949, London) is an English author. ...

External links

• The Shakespeare Birthplace trust has an excellent discussion of Shakespeare's life on its website.
• The Internet Shakespeare Editions provides an extensive section on his life and times.
• The Stratford Guide A visitor Guide to Stratford Upon Avon. Has sections on Shakespeare's life, Attractions in Stratford and much more.
• The Shakespeare Resource Center A directory of Web resources for online Shakespearean study. Includes a Shakespeare biography, works timeline, play synopses, and language resources.
• Shakespeare's family tree

	William Shakespeare and his works
General information	Biography · Style · Influence · Reputation · Religion · Sexuality · Shakespeare authorship question
Tragedies	Antony and Cleopatra · Coriolanus · Cymbeline · Hamlet · Julius Caesar · King Lear · Macbeth · Othello · Romeo and Juliet · Timon of Athens · Titus Andronicus · Troilus and Cressida
Comedies	All's Well That Ends Well · As You Like It · The Comedy of Errors · Love's Labour's Lost · Measure for Measure · The Merchant of Venice · The Merry Wives of Windsor · A Midsummer Night's Dream · Much Ado About Nothing · Pericles, Prince of Tyre · The Taming of the Shrew · The Tempest · Twelfth Night · The Two Gentlemen of Verona · The Two Noble Kinsmen · The Winter's Tale
Histories	King John · Richard II · Henry IV, Part 1 · Henry IV, Part 2 · Henry V · Henry VI, part 1 · Henry VI, part 2 · Henry VI, part 3 · Richard III · Henry VIII
Poems	Sonnets · Venus and Adonis · The Rape of Lucrece · The Passionate Pilgrim · The Phoenix and the Turtle · A Lover's Complaint
Apocrypha and lost plays	Edward III · Sir Thomas More · Cardenio (lost) · Love's Labour's Won (lost) · The Birth of Merlin · Locrine · The London Prodigal · The Puritan · The Second Maiden's Tragedy · Richard II, Part I: Thomas of Woodstock · Sir John Oldcastle · Thomas Lord Cromwell · A Yorkshire Tragedy · Fair Em · Mucedorus · The Merry Devil of Edmonton · Arden of Faversham · Edmund Ironside · Vortigern and Rowena
Other play information	Shakespeare's plays · Shakespeare in performance · Chronology of Shakespeare plays · Oxfordian chronology · Shakespeare on screen · BBC Television Shakespeare · Titles based on Shakespeare · Lists of characters A–K, L–Z · Problem plays · List of historical characters · Ghost characters