William Shakespeare
4) Hamlet
One of Shakespeare's early comedies, Love's Labour's Lost follows the travails of the King of Navarre and three of his companions as they make a vow to eschew the attentions of women and devote themselves entirely to scholarship for a period of three years. In a classic case of poor timing, each of the four men soon crosses paths with their soul-mate, and hilarity ensues. Rife with witty word play, critics agree that Love's Labour's Lost
...11) Macbeth
Macbeth is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and one of his best-known plays. Often referred to as an archetypal tale, it warns against lust for power and the betrayal of friends. Shakespeare based the play loosely on a King Macbeth of Scotland. The play is traditionally considered "cursed", and thus many actors refer to it as "The Scottish Play" to avoid naming it.
The Merchant of Venice is classed as one of Shakespeare's comedies, but is more often remembered for its dramatic characters and situations. Though the villain of the piece, the Jewish moneylender Shylock is often the most prominent and well-remembered character of the play. As he can be played and directed either sympathetically or wholly villainous, the play remains a highly contentious piece of theater.
13) Coriolanus
ACT IScene 1. The common people of Rome, the plebeians, are on the verge of rebellion due to the lack of grain; they blame the partricians—the Roman nobility—for their plight. They are especially bitter toward Caius Marcius, a patrician and a successful soldier, whom they regard as "the chief enemy to the people." Menenius tries to persuade them that the patricians are acting in their best interests but when Marcius arrives he makes
...14) Richard III
The Sonnets compiles 154 Sonnets written by Shakespeare on all manner of themes from love and fidelity to politics and lineage. Many of the sonnets - in particular the first 17, commonly called the procreation sonnets - were commissioned, a fact which calls a simple, romantic reading into question.
17) Romeo y Julieta
18) King Richard III
Richard III belongs to Shakespeare's folio of King Richard plays, and is the longest of his plays after Hamlet. It is classified variously as a tragedy and a history, showing the reign of Richard III in an unflattering light. The play's length springs in part from its reference to the other Richard plays, with which Shakespeare assumed his audience would be familiar. These references and characters are often edited out to create an abridged
...When a young woman is offered the choice ofsaving a man's life at the price of her own chastity,what should she do?
The political and moral corruption of Vienna has driven Duke Vincentio into hiding while his deputy governor, Angelo is left to revive the old discipline of civic authority. Angelos First act is to imprison Claudio, a young nobleman who has gotten his betrothed, Juliet, with child. Under the old laws, this is punishable by death.
....png)