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Richard III.

King John.

Three historical dramas, each dealing with the struggles and downfall of an English king.

II. THE PERIOD OF GREAT HISTORIES AND

The Merchant of Venice.

COMEDIES

The story of two young lovers who are brought together by the devotion of a faithful friend, and who in turn save this friend from the revenge of Shylock the Jew.

The Taming of the Shrew.

An ingenious farcical comedy, in which a shrewish wife is tamed into gentleness.

King Henry IV, Parts I and II.

Stately pictures of English civil wars, interspersed with the delightful comedy of Falstaff and his companions.

King Henry V.

A picture of the English conquests in France, centering around Henry V as a national hero.

Merry Wives of Windsor.

A laughable series of practical jokes played on Falstaff. Much Ado About Nothing.

As You Like It.

Twelfth Night.

Three romantic comedies of the highest rank. Much Ado combines the delightful wit-combats of Beatrice and Benedict with the touching story of a lady unjustly accused but finally cleared. As You Like It is a picture of pastoral life far from the world's uproar in the forest of Arden. Twelfth Night traces the fortunes of a shipwrecked heroine who by unselfish devotion wins a noble lover.

All's Well That Ends Well.

Troilus and Cressida.

Measure for Measure.

Three bitter, sarcastic comedies, revealing the baser aspects of human nature.

III. THE PERIOD OF GREAT TRAGEDIES

Julius Cæsar.

A picture of the national upheaval connected with the death of Cæsar. Its central figure is the noble but misguided patriot Brutus.

Hamlet.

One of the most thoughtful and poetical of dramas, centering around the story of a son called to avenge a murdered father. Othello.

The tragedy of a noble but passionate man who becomes the dupe of a villain, and through mistaken jealousy murders his innocent bride.

King Lear.

The tragedy of ingratitude. King Lear gives all his lands to his two eldest daughters, but their cruelty leads to his death and that of his one faithful child Cordelia.

Macbeth.

A terrible picture of the retribution which follows ambition and murder. Macbeth assassinates his predecessor to become king, but is overthrown and dies miserably in the hour of defeat.

Antony and Cleopatra.

The tragedy of a great soldier who sacrifices an empire for love of a fascinating but wicked woman.

Timon of Athens.

The tragedy of a noble Athenian who ruins himself by unwise generosity.

Coriolanus.

The tragedy of a noble Roman whose brave but unreasonably haughty spirit makes him the enemy and desolator of his country.

IV. ROMANTIC TALES OF SHAKESPEARE'S LATER YEARS

Pericles.

The adventures of a family who are long separated and finally united.

Cymbeline.

A Winter's Tale.

Two stories of mistaken jealousy, with frequent threats of disaster but with a happy ending. Cymbeline is a story of ancient Britain; the scene of the Winter's Tale is laid in Sicily and Bohemia.

The Tempest.

The story of an exiled duke on an enchanted island. Here he brings his enemies within his power and is restored to his dukedom.

King Henry VIII.

A series of picturesque events in the life of King Henry and Cardinal Wolsey.

Shakespeare's non-dramatic works include:

Venus and Adonis (1593).

The Rape of Lucrece (1594).
Sonnets (1609).

The Passionate Pilgrim (1599).

A collection of short poems, containing a few by Shakespeare.

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The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark

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