William Shakespeare Famous Works

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was born on 23rd April 1564, at Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire.
He died on 23rd April 1616.
William Shakespeare’s Father’s name was John Shakespeare.
Shakespeare’s Mother’s name was Mary Arden Shakespeare.
Shakespeare’s Wife Name: Anne Hathaway.
William Shakespeare’s Nickname: The Swan of Avon.

The Famous Titles of William Shakespeare

1. King without crown.
2. The Bard of Avon.
3. National poet of England.
4. The greatest dramatist.
5. The greatest superstar in the world.
6. Poet of Human Nature – (Said by Dr. Samuel Johnson)

William Shakespeare’s Famous Literary Works

What are the 38 plays of Shakespeare

William Shakespeare’s Plays (37 or 38) and Characteristics

His play consists of ‘five acts’. William Shakespeare composed most of his plays in ‘ iambic pentameter ‘ ( a line of 10 syllables).

William Shakespeare lost two of his written plays. Those are:
1) Love’s Labours Won.
2) The History of Cardenio.

Sonnets – 154. – William Shakespeare’s sonnet style is : Three quatrains and a couplet.
William Shakespeare is the innovator of ‘Sakespearean Sonnet’.
He dedicated a few of his sonnets to his friend, named ‘Earl of Southampton’.
William Shakespeare wrote 26 sonnets for some ‘Dark Lady’.

William Shakespeare wrote three Long Narrative Poems.

Those are:
1) The Rape of Lucrece.
2) A Lover’s Complaint.
3) Venus and Adonis.

Some of his more famous poems are

1) The Passionate Pilgrim.
2) The Phoenix and the Turtle.
3) Under the Greenwood Tree – famous line: ‘Life in nature is simple and free’.
4) Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day?

William Shakespeare’s Famous Works (Plays)

William Shakespeare wrote 4 types of plays.

1. Historical play.  ( Shakespeare wrote 10 historical plays).

2. Tragedy ( Shakespeare wrote 12 tragedies).

3. Tragi-comedy/problem play

4. Comedy

1. William Shakespeare’s Famous Works (Historical Plays-10)

William Shakespeare wrote 10 historical plays.

His first play was Henry (VI)- part 2.

1. King John
2. Richard (II)
3. Richard (III)
4. Henry (IV)- Part 1. Famous line: “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown”.
5. Henry (IV)- Part 2
6. Henry (V).  A famous quote from Henry (V) is: “The empty vessel makes the loudest sound”.” Men of few words are the best men “.
7. Henry (VI)- Part 1
8. Henry (VI)- part 2.
9. Henry (VI)- Part 3
10. Henry (VIII).

William Shakespeare’s Famous Works (Tragedy-12)

1. Macbeth

Macbeth is Shakespeare’s shortest tragedy.

• Main Plot/ Story: A soldier named Macbeth murders King Duncan of Scotland, influenced by his wife Lady Macbeth. And sat on the throne. But in the end they both dies.
• Character: Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, King Duncan, Malcolm, Banqo, Madcuff (a noble man) ,  Three witches.
• Famous quotes of Macbeth :

1) ” Fair is foul, and foul is fair ” – Three witches.
2) ” Life’s but a walking shadow ” – Macbeth.
3) ” Life is a tale told by an idiot “.
4) ” Look like an innocent flower but be the serpent under it ” – Lady Macbeth.
5) ” Here is still the smell of blood, all the perfumes of arabia will not sweeten this little hand “.

2. Hamlet

Hamlet means – A small village that doesn’t have a church.

• Hamlet is Shakespeare’s longest play.
• The play Hamlet has 7 soliloquies.
• Being inspired by Thomas Kyd’s ‘The Spanish Tragedy’, William Shakespeare wrote Hamlet.
• Story: Hamlet is the prince of Denmark. His father King Hamlet, was murdered by the conspiracy of his uncle Claudius and mother Gertrude. Hamlet takes revenge for his father’s death by murdering Claudius and Hamlet also dies by getting injured by a poisonous sword.
• Character: King Hamlet, Hamlet (prince), Claudius, Gertrude, Ophelia, Horatio, Laertes, Polonius.
• Famous lines of Hamlet :

1) To be or not to be that is the question.
2) Frailty, thy name is a woman.
3) Brevity is the soul of wit.
4) There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.
5) When sorrows come, they come not in single spies but in battalions.
6) There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in our philosophy.
7) There is a divinity that shapes our end.
8) Neither a borrower nor a lender be; For loan oft loses both itself and friend.
9) The play is a thing,  where i will catch the conscience of the king.
10) “What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason,  how infinite in faculties; in form and moving how express and admirable,  in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god! ”

3. Othello

• Theme: Fatal consequences of doubt.
• Story: Othello is a modern general of Venice, who doubts his wife Desdemona having an affair with his assistant soldier Cassio. And by driven by his doubt one day he killed his sleeping wife with his hand. Later he knew about the truth and conspiracy of Iago. Knowing the truth he chose the path of suicide.
• Othello gave Desdemona a handkerchief as a token of love.
• Character: Othello (The Moor), Desdemona, Brabantio (father of Desdemona),  Iago, Cassio, Emilia.

4. King Lear

A tragedy of an arrogant king.

Story: King Lear was a father of three daughters. Elder Goneril, then Regan, and the youngest Cordelia. Among his three daughters, the elder two were disloyal, greedy, and unfaithful. But won the king’s heart with their sweet answers asked to them by the king. On the other hand, the youngest, loyal, and loving daughter couldn’t make his father happy with her words. King gets offended and disowns her youngest daughter. At the end, the king gets betrayed by the elder two daughters and Cordelia helps him. And King Lear repents for his wrongdoings.

• Character: King Lear, Goneril, Regan, Cordelia.

Famous lines of the play King Lear:

1) Nothing will come of nothing.
2) My love is richer than my tongue – Cordelia.
3) I am a man more sinned against than sinning. – King Lear.
4) Thankless children are sharper than poisonous snakes. – King Lear.

5. Julius Caesar

• Julius Caesar was a ruler of Rome about 2000 years ago.
• Story: A ruler of Rome Julius Caesar became the victim of his friend Brutus’s betrayal. Brutus was influenced by a group of aristocratic people, became greedy for power, and murdered his close friend and ruler Julius Caesar.
• Character: Julius Caesar, Brutus, Antonio.

Famous lines of the play Julius Caesar:

1) Cowards die many times before their death, But the valiant never taste death but once.- Julius Caesar.
2) Vini, Vidi, Vici (I came,  I saw, I conquered). – Julius Caesar.
3) Brutus,  you too! – Julius Caesar.

6. Romeo and Juliet

A tragedy of eternal love.

• Story: Romeo and Juliet belong to two hostile aristocratic families in Italy. Romeo is the son of the Montague family and Juliet is from the Capulet family. Romeo and Juliet loved each other truly but their family refused them. And the Capulet family fixed the marriage of Juliet elsewhere. To escape from the marriage, Juliet planned and drank a sleeping medicine given by Laurence. Which will make her sleep for 42 hours and people will believe that she is dead. After 42 hours she will wake up and go with Romeo. But Romeo didn’t get the message of this planning, from Laurence on time. And he like others thought that Juliet was dead. Knowing that, his beloved is no more, Romeo drank poison and died beside Juliet’s grave. After waking up from sleep, Juliet saw Romeo dead. She couldn’t bear the sight and killed herself with Romeo’s knife.
• Character : Romeo, Juliet, Montague, Lady Montague, Capulet, Lady Capulet, Laurence.
• Quote: ” What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet” – Juliet to Romeo.

7. Antony and Cleopatra

• Cleopatra was the Queen of Egypt. Known as ‘The Serpent of the Nile’.
• Story: A love story of Cleopatra and his army General Antony. Antony while in a war got fake news of Cleopatra’s death and his suicide after that. Knowing that, Antony is no more, Queen Cleopatra also died from her snake bite.
• Character: Antony, Cleopatra, Gaius Octavian.

8. Titus Andronicus

• Character: Titus (a renowned Roman general), Lavinia, Lucius, Quintus, Marcus, and Tamora.

9. Troilus and Cressida

• Character: Troilus, Cassandra, Hector, Paris, Helen.
• Famous quote :

1) “The common curse of mankind folly and ignorance”.

10. Coriolanus

• Character: Coriolanus, Virgilia, Menenius, Agrippa, Comenius, Titus Lartius.

11. Cymbeline

• Character: Cymbeline, Imogene, Giderius.

12. Timon of Athens

• Timon of Athens is William Shakespeare’s unfinished play.
• Character: Timon, Alcibiades, Apemantus.
• Quote: ” Life is an uncertain voyage “.

William Shakespeare’s Famous Works (Tragi-Comedy: 3)

Tragi-Comedy / Problem Play:

1. The Merchant of Venice

• It is told that from being inspired by the play ‘The Jew of Malta’ written by Christopher Marlowe, William Shakespeare wrote ‘The Merchant of Venice’.
• Character: Shylock ( a jew usurer), Antonio, Portia, Bassanio, Jessica.
• Famous quotes from The Merchant of Venice :

1) All that glitter is not gold.
2) Love is blind and lovers cannot see
3) It is a wise father who knows his child.
4) In short, I know not why I am so sad.

2. All’s Well That Ends Well

• Character: Parolles, Lafew, Lavatch.
• Famous lines of All’s Well That Ends Well:

1) Listen to many, speak to a few.
2) Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.

3. Measure for Measure

• Measure for Measure is called black comedy, dark comedy, and problem play. It is not a tragedy but also a fair comedy. This tragi-comedy ends with forced love but not true love.
• Character: Vincentio, Angelo, Bernardine, Abhorson.
• Famous lines of the play:

1) Some rise by sin and some by virtue fall.
2) The miserable have no other medicine but only hope.

William Shakespeare’s Famous Works (Comedy-12)

1. As You Like It

• Theme: Love at first sight.
• Character: Orlando, Rosalind, Duke Senior, Celia, Touchstone.
• Famous lines of ‘As You Like It’ :

1) ” All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women are merely players”.
2) ” Blow, blow the winter wind, Thou (you) are not so unkind, As man’s ingratitude “.
3) ” Sweet are the uses of adversity “.
4) ” Under the green wood tree / Who loves to lie with me “.

2. A Midsummer Night’s Dream

• It is a romantic comedy.
• Character: Titania, Hermia, Oberon, Puck, Lysander, Helena.
• Famous quote of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ :

1) ” Love looks not with the eyes but with mind “.
2) ” Take pains, Be perfect “.
3) ” The course of true love never did run smooth “.

3. Much Ado About Nothing

• Character: Benedick, Don John, Leonarto, Dogberry, Don Pedro.

4. The Comedy of Errors

• Character: Solinus, Dromio, Antipholous.

5. Twelfth Night

• Subtitle: Or, What You Will.
• Character: Viola, Olivia, Maluolio, Duke Orsino.
• Famous quote of Twelfth Night :

1) ” Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them “.
2) ” If music be the food of love, play on “.
3) ” Better a witty fool, than a foolish wit “.
4) ” Love is sought is good, but given unsought is better “.

6. The Taming of the Shrew

Character: Katherine.

7. The Tempest

• Tempest means violent storm.
• The Tempest is William Shakespeare’s last work, swan song.
• The Tempest was first performed in front of ‘King James (l)’ at ‘White Hall’.
• Character: Caliban, Ariel, Ferdinand, Alanso, Miranda, Prospereo.
• Famous quote :

1) ” Hell is empty and all the devils are here “.

8. Two Gentleman of Verona

• Character : Thurio, Launce, Eglamour, Valentine, Lucetta.
• Famous line :

1) “Home-keeping youtg have ever homely wits “.

9. Love’s Labours Lost

• Character : Berowne, Longaville, Costard, Don Armado.

10. The Winter’s Tale :

• Character : Leontes, Perdita, Polixenes, Florizel, Mamillius.

11. Pericles, Prince of Tyre

• Character: Helicanus, Cerimon, Dionyza, Lychorida, Thaliart.

12. The Merry Wives of Windsor

• Character: Falstaff, Mistress Ford, Mistress Quickly, Anne Page, Fenton, Meg Page.