Shakespeare Explorer

Written around 1595, Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare's earliest tragedies.

The play compresses the events of Arthur Brooke's narrative poem "The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet" (1562) from months to just a few days.

The famous balcony scene ("Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?") is one of the most quoted scenes in all of literature, though the word "balcony" never appears in Shakespeare's text.

The play has been adapted into over 40 films and countless theatrical productions, ballets, and operas.

"Star-crossed lovers" is a phrase that originated in this play and is now commonly used to describe ill-fated relationships.

Richard III is one of Shakespeare's earliest history plays, written around 1592-93.

The play portrays Richard as physically deformed (with a hunchback and withered arm), which may be an exaggeration of his actual scoliosis, confirmed when his skeleton was discovered under a Leicester parking lot in 2012.

The famous opening line "Now is the winter of our discontent" establishes Richard's character immediately.

Shakespeare's portrayal of Richard III as villainous was influenced by Tudor propaganda, as the play was written during the reign of Elizabeth I, granddaughter of Henry VII who defeated Richard.

The play contains one of the most famous lines in Shakespeare: "A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!"

Written around 1595-96, A Midsummer Night's Dream uniquely blends elements of Athenian history, English folk traditions, and fairy mythology.

The play-within-a-play "Pyramus and Thisbe" performed by the craftsmen parodies the story that was a source for Romeo and Juliet.

Shakespeare created the character of Puck by drawing on English folklore about a mischievous household sprite.

The play contains the famous quote: "The course of true love never did run smooth."

Unlike most of Shakespeare's works, the plot appears to be original rather than adapted from earlier sources.

Written around 1600-01, Hamlet is Shakespeare's longest play with 4,042 lines and nearly 30,000 words.

The play contains some of the most quoted lines in the English language, including "To be, or not to be, that is the question" and "Neither a borrower nor a lender be."

Hamlet has been performed more than any other Shakespeare play and has been adapted into over 50 films.

The character of Hamlet has been played by more actors than any other Shakespearean role.

The play's source is believed to be a Norse legend recorded by Saxo Grammaticus in the 12th century.

Written around 1606, Macbeth is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been performed for King James I, who was fascinated by witchcraft.

The play is considered cursed by many in theater; it's often referred to as "The Scottish Play" to avoid saying its name inside a theater.

Lady Macbeth's famous "Out, damned spot!" line refers to her hallucination of blood on her hands that she cannot wash away.

The play contains the famous line "Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more."

Macbeth was based on a real Scottish king, though Shakespeare significantly altered history to please his royal patron.

Written around 1603, Othello explores themes of racism, jealousy, betrayal, and manipulation.

The handkerchief with strawberry embroidery is one of the most important symbols in all of Shakespeare, representing Othello's love and trust.

Othello is one of Shakespeare's most tightly constructed plays, adhering closely to the classical unities of time, place, and action.

The play contains the famous line "O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on."

Unlike many of Shakespeare's other tragic heroes, Othello doesn't have a soliloquy revealing his inner thoughts until late in the play.