William Shakespeare wrote his plays over a period of twenty-four years from 1588 to 1612 A.D. During this period he wrote about 37 plays which can be grouped in four periods. The play list is as follows:
The First Period (1588 - 1595)
The productions of this period are Histories, Comedies and Tragedies. In this period the apprentice hand of Shakespeare can be seen in this period.
1591 1. Henry VI - Part I
2. Henry VI - Part II
3. Henry VI - Part III
4. Love's Labour's Lost
5. The Two Gentlemen of Verona
6. The Comedy of Errors
1593 7. Richard II
8. Titus Andronicius
9. The Taming of Shrew
1594 10. Romeo and Juliet
11. A Midsummer Night's Dream
12. Richard III
13. King John
14. The Merchant of Venice
Apart from this Shakespeare wrote two poems: Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece
The Second Period (1595 - 1601)
Shakespeare's greatest comedies and historical plays were written during this period. His genus blossomed forth and the beauty of his literary and imaginative talents achieved a great height. He now acquired a better knowledge of the world and the affairs.
1597 15. Henry IV - Part I
16. Henry IV - Part II
17. Much Ado about Nothing
18. The Merry Wives of Windsor
19. As You Like It
20. Henry V
21. Troilus and Cressida
1599 22. Julius Caesar
The Third Period (1601 - 1608)
This is the period of some of the greatest tragedies written by Shakespeare. During this period he wrote four Tragedies, three Roman Plays and two comedies. As a dramatist Shakespeare reaches the climax. He reached the depth of the human hearts with the help of his pen.
1601 23. Hamlet
24. Othello
25. Twelfth Night
26. Measure for Measure
27. All's Well That Ends Well
1606 28. King Lear
29. Macbeth
30. Timon of Athens
31. Antony and Cleopatra
32. Coriolanus
The Fourth Period (1608 - 1611)
The three romantic-tragedies were written during this period. Shakespeare here has triumphed over the sorrows of life and is at peace with himself. These are the outcome of fortitude and a recognization of human frailty.
1609 33. Pericles
1611 34. Cymbeline
35. The Winter's Tale
36. Henry VIII
37. The Tempest
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