SHAKESPEARE'S PLAYS

Over a period of 25 years, Shakespeare is thought to have written 39 plays (either by himself or in collaboration with other playwrights) that can be divided into three broad categories: comedies, histories and tragedies.

The comedies (for instance A Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night) generally concern relationships and often end happily, although they can be tinged with sadness and cynicism. The history plays (Richard III and Henry V, for example) use historical events to develop themes of power and ambition, greed and conflict. The tragedies (such as Othello, Macbeth, and Hamlet) explore the darker side of human experience, focusing on evil, madness and despair.

Only half of Shakespeare's plays were printed before his death in 1616, often in very inaccurate versions – what we would now call 'pirate copies'. It wasn't until seven years later that the first complete and authorised collection of his plays was published by two of his fellow actors. As they had access to Shakespeare's own papers, the 'First Folio' (as it is known today) is considered the best starting point for modern editions of most of his plays.

The quotation at the top of the page is from the Prologue of Henry V.