Classification of Shakespeare's Plays

Shakespeare's plays list

Classification of William Shakespeare plays are- The Early Comedies, The Historical Comedies, The Mature Comedies, The Obsessed plays, The Obsessed plays, The Great Tragedies, The Roman Plays, The Last Plays.

{tocify} $title={Table of Contents}

The Early Comedies of Shakespeare

In these immature plays, the plots square measure less original, the characters less finished, and also the vogue lacks the ability of the mature William Shakespeare. They are full of wit and wordplay, usually put into the mouths of young amatory, but often the humour is puerile and the wit degenerates into mere verbal quibbling. Of this type are The Comedy of Errors, Love's Labour's Lost, and The Two Gentlemen of Verona.

The Historical Comedies of Shakespeare

These plays show a speedy maturing of William Shakespeare’s style. He now begins to busy himself with developing characters, such as Richard II or Prince Hal. He shows clearly the importance attached in his day to the throne and the contemporary desire for stable government. Figures like Falstaff illustrate their increasing depth of characterization, and the mingling of low life with chronicle history is an important innovation, The plays in this group, to which belong Richard II, 1 Henry IV, 2 Henry V, and Henry V, contain much more blank verse than those of the earlier group.

The Mature Comedies of Shakespeare

The comic spirit manifests itself at several levels-the refined wit of the fictional character and married man or the clowning of Dogberry and Verges in abundant rumpus regarding Nothing, the mirthful good humour of Sir Toby jug Belch in Twelfth Night; the lighter clowning of Launcelot Gobbo within the merchandiser of Venice; the urbane sophisticated humour of a criterion in As you like It. The plays are full of vitality, contain many truly comic situations, and reveal great warmth and humanity. In this group, there is much prose.

The Obsessed plays of William Shakespeare

In this group are All's Well that Ends Well, Measure for Measure, and Troilus and Cressida. Though comedies in the sense that they end 'happily,' their tone is obsessed plays and tragic. They reflect a cynical, disillusioned attitude to life and a fondness for objectionable characters and situations. In them, Shakespeare displays a savage desire to expose the falsity of romance and to show the sordid reality of life.

The Great Tragedies of Shakespeare

Hamlet, Macbeth Othello, and King Lear are the climax of Shakespeare's art. In the intensity of emotion, depth of psychological insight, and power of style they supreme.

Shakespeare The Roman Plays

These are based on North's translation of Plutarch's Lives, and though written at wide intervals, are usually considered as a group. Julius Caesar, contemporary with the English histories, shows the same concern with political security, and in its depth of character study is approaching the great tragedies. Antony and Cleopatra and Coriolanus follow the great tragic period, and while the former, in soaring imagination and tragic power, is truly great, both of them show some relaxation of tragic intensity.

William Shakespeare Last Plays

A mellowed maturity is the chief feature of this group which contain Cymbeline, The Winter Tale and The Tempest. The creative touch of the dramatist, making living men out of figment, is abundantly in view, the style is notable and serenely adequate, and with the ease of the master, the author thoroughly to his will. No more fitting conclusion -rich, ample, and graciously dignified - could be found to round off the work of our greatest literary genius that these plays of reconciliation and forgiveness.