William Shakespeare
The Plays : Tragedies
Romeo and Juliet
Of the 36 plays published in Shakespeare's First Folio, 12 were classed as tragedies. The most famous of these tragedies is Romeo and Juliet, which tells the story of two young "star-crossed lovers" who take their own life. It is one of the most performed plays in history and one of the most read in schools. It is perhaps Shakespeare's most famous play of all. However, most scholars would agree that is not the most accomplished of the tragedies. Hamlet, MacBeth, King Lear or Othello vie for that title. But all the plays are masterpieces of drama and are as brutal as they are brilliant. Indeed, Titus Andronicus is considered one of the most violent plays ever written. Below, the tragedies are listed in the order they appeared in the First Folio of 1623.
TROILUS AND CRESSIDA
CORIOLANUS
TITUS ANDRONICUS
ROMEO AND JULIET
TIMON OF ATHENS
JULIUS CAESAR
MACBETH
HAMLET
KING LEAR
OTHELLO
ANTHONY AND CLEOPATRA
CYMBELINE
