William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare

(Playwright + Actor)

r 1564 ~ 1616

William Shakespeare, a famous playwright known today for performances such as 'Romeo and Juliet' 'Julius Caesar'  and 'Macbeth'. His birthdate is unknown, his baptism (26th April, 1564) is the earliest date known of his existence. His death is as much of a mystery as his birth, although the date is known (23 April, 1616), the cause is yet to be found. Some say it was due to 'too much drinking', but there is no real evidence to support that theory. 

Shakespeare had three children with spouse Anne Hathaway; Susanna Hall, Hamnet Shakespeare and Judith Quiney. Daughter Judith and Son Hamnet were twins (1585) although Hamnet only made it to the age of 11 before dying of an unknown cause. Their other daughter Susanna, was the eldest (1583) by two years. 

Most of Shakespeare's most famous work was produced between 1589 to 1613. Most of his early plays were comedies and histories, most of which became a success being labeled as some of the best work in those genres to date. He then began to create tragedies such as 'Hamlet' and 'Macbeth' both considered as some of the best work of the English language.  

Listed below are the plays Shakespeare had written over his long life in chronological order, the underlined ones were his more popular:

1. The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1589-1581)
2. The Taming of the Shrew (1590-1591)
3. Henry VI, pt 2 (1591)
4. Henry VI, pt 3 (1591)
5. Henry VI, pt 1 (1591-1592)
6. Titus Andronicus (1591-1592)
7. Richard III (1592-1593)
8. Edward III (1592-1593)
9. The Comedy of Errors (1594)
10. Love's Labour's Lost (1594-1595)
11. Love's Labour's Won (1595-1596)
12. Richard II (1595)
13. Romeo and Juliet (1595)
14. A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595)
15. King John (1596)
16. The Merchant of Venice (1596-1597)
17. Henry IV, pt 1(1596-1597)
18. The Merry Wives of Windsor (1597)
19. Henry IV, pt 2 (1507-1598)
20. Much Ado About Nothing (1598-1599)
21. Henry V (1599)
22. Julius Caesar (1599)
23. As You Like It (1599-1600)
24. Hamlet (1599-1601)
25. Twelfth Night (1601)
26. Troilus and Cressida (1600-1602)
27. Measure for Measure (1603-1604)
28. Othello (1603-1604)
29. All's Well That Ends Well (1604-1605)
30. King Lear (1605-1606)
31. Timon of Athens (1605-1606)
32. Macbeth (1606)
33. Anthony and Cleopatra (1606)
34. Pericles, Prince of Tyre (1607-1608)
35. Coriolanus (1608)
36. The Winter's Tale (1609-1611)
37. Cymbeline (1610)
38. The Tempest (1610-1611)
39. Cardenio (1612-1613)
40. Henry VIII (1612-1613)
41. The Two Noble Kinsmen (1613-1614)