William Shakespeare

Plays

Since they were written 400 years ago, Shakespeare's plays have had a profound impact on western civilisation. Hundreds of words invented by Shakespeare have passed into common usage, such as amazement, bloody, eventful, and many of his phrases have become proverbs. Some include:

All that glitters is not gold
Be all and end all
Disgraceful conduct
Green eyed monster
Naked truth
The course of true love never did run smooth
The milk of human kindness
It's Greek to me
Too much of a good thing

Shakespeare's plays have been translated into many languages, and are still performed all over the world today. Almost everyone in the western world has read one of Shakespeare's plays, even if only at school, and almost everyone can name one of his works. Arguably, Shakespeare's most famous and popular play is the romantic tragedy Romeo and Juliet. Other popular plays include Hamlet, Macbeth,A Midsummer Night's Dream, Othello, and The Merchant of Venice.

Some of Shakespeare's plays were published individually in his lifetime, but most were printed for the first time in the First Folio of 1623. This was a collection of 36 plays, divided into Comedies, Histories and Tragedies, in one printed volume. Next to the Bible, it is the most influential and important literary publication in western history. It is thought by some that Shakespeare wrote, or at least contributed to, other plays, such as Pericles and Edward III. However, as they were not published in the First Folio, this is a matter of some debate.

For full lists of the plays see:

The Comedies
The Histories
The Tragedies

Sonnets

Shakespeare's Sonnets were first published in 1609. The edition, which may have been printed without Shakespeare's permission, contained 154 sonnets, mostly of fourteen lines, with a abab cdcd efef gg rhyming structure. The volume was dedicated to a "Mr W.H.", who was perhaps Henry Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton, to whom Shakespeare dedicated his narrative poems Venus and Adonis and The Rape Of Lucrece.

The sonnets cover a range of subjects, from love and friendship to death and immortality. They are perhaps the greatest collection of poems ever written, unparalleled in their beauty and sophistication.

Here you can read some of Shakespeare's most popular sonnets:


SONNET 1 - From fairest creatures we desire increase

SONNET 18 - Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

SONNET 27 - Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed

SONNET 29 - When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes

SONNET 30 - When to the sessions of sweet silent thought

SONNET 73 - That time of year thou mayst in me behold

SONNET 104 - To me, fair friend, you never can be old

SONNET 116 - Let me not to the marriage of true minds

SONNET 130 - My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;

SONNET 138 - When my love swears that she is made of truth

Poems

As well as plays and sonnets, Shakespeare also wrote poems. In fact, Shakespeare's first published work was a narrative poem called Venus and Adonis. This was published in 1593 and was reprinted several times due to its popularity. The poem was dedicated to Henry Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton, who is thought to have been William's patron.

The poem, set in ancient Greece, tells the story of Venus, the goddess of love, and a handsome mortal, Adonis. Passionately in love with him, Venus tries to seduce him, but he is more interested in hunting. Venus has a vision, in which she sees him killed by a boar, and warns him, but he hunts regardless and is duly killed. Venus is devasted and prophesises that love will forever after bring sorrow and strife.

In 1594 Shakespeare published a second narrative poem, also dedicated to Henry Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton, called The Rape of Lucrece. This poem tells the tragic tale of how Lucrece, an ancient Roman woman, is raped by a soldier in her husband's absence. After telling her husband, and giving the name of the rapist, she kills herself with a dagger. Although this poem wasn't as popular as Venus and Adonis it was also republished several times.

Shakespeare's other poems, all minor works, are:

The Passionate Pilgrim (1598)
The Phoenix and the Turtle (1601)
A Lover's Complaint (1609)

Quotes

Shakespeare



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