The Tragedy of Hamlet - often abbreviated to Hamlet - was created by William Shakespeare between 1599 and 1601. It is the longest play by Shakespeare, with 29,551 words. The play is set in Denmark and tells the story of Prince Hamlet's vengeance against his uncle Claudius, who killed Hamlet's dad in order to usurp the kingdom and marry his mother.

Hamlet is regarded as one of the most famous plays written by William Shakespeare. Indeed, it was among Shakespeare's most beloved works during his career and continues to be one of his most played masterpieces. Since its debut 400 years ago, the part has been played by a large number of notable performers in each succeeding century.

Furthermore, Hamlet has influenced numerous other authors, including Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Charles Dickens, James Joyce, and Iris Murdoch, and has been called "the second most filmed narrative in the world after Cinderella."

According to further research, Shakespeare's Hamlet is based on the tale of Amleth, which was documented by the 13th-century historian Saxo Grammaticus and later repeated by the 16th-century researcher Francois de Belleforest.

Some academics think Shakespeare authored a novel called "Ur-Hamlet" and then revised it to produce the version of Hamlet we always know today. Though the truth is still unclear, at least what we know for certain is that Shakespeare definitely penned his rendition of the title part for Richard Burbage - the preeminent Shakespearean tragedian of those days.

Year of Release: 1601

Goodreads Score: 4.03/5

Shakespeare is the author of the play A Midsummer Night's Dream. The drama takes place in Athens and revolves around the wedding of Hippolyta and Theseus. A subplot includes a quarrel between four lovers from Athens. Another subplot follows a troupe of six novice actors as they rehearse the play they will perform at the wedding. Both parties ended up in a woodland populated by manipulative fairies involved in their own personal drama.

The play is considered one of the most popular and often performed by Shakespeare. On the basis of topical connections - and a reference to Edmund Spenser's famous work Epithalamion - A Midsummer Night's Dream's releases year is often dated between 1595 and 1596.

Some have hypothesized that the play was written for a noble wedding (such as that of Lady Berkeley and Elizabeth Carey) while others have suggested that it was composed for the Queen herself to mark the festival day of St. John. However, there is no evidence to support any of these hypotheses.

Although A Midsummer Night's Dream is neither a translation nor a reworking of any older material, it seems it was inspired by works of similar tropes such as The Knight's Tale by Chaucer and Metamorphoses by Ovid.

Year of Release: 1595

Goodreads Score: 3.95/5

Macbeth by William Shakespeare is a famous tragedy play. It is believed that the first performance occurred in 1606. The play demonstrates the detrimental impacts of political aspirations on people seeking power.

Shakespeare's connection with King James - sponsor of Shakespeare's acting troupe - is most evident in Macbeth among all the plays he composed during the kingdom of James I. Perhaps one of Shakespeare's shortest tragedies, Macbeth was originally published in "Folio of 1623".

In the story, a trio of witches foretells that a valiant Scottish commander called Macbeth would one day become the King of Scotland. Macbeth kills King Duncan and assumes the Scottish throne - as a result of his desire and his wife's prodding. Then, he is overcome with remorse and paranoia. As he is compelled to conduct increasingly more murders to defend himself from hostility and suspicion, he eventually becomes a dictator. The slaughter and subsequent civil strife hurl Lady Macbeth and Macbeth himself fast into madness and death.

Shakespeare's reference for the tale comes from the real-life narrative of Macbeth, despite the fact that the plotlines in the play diverge significantly from the actual history of Macbeth. One interesting fact is that in the realm of theater backstage, there are some people who think the play is cursed - and refuse to say its name aloud. Instead, they only call it "The Scottish Play."

Macbeth has been played by the most recognized performers, and the play has been adapted into cinema, comic books, novels, opera, television, and other media.

Year of Release: 1606

Goodread Scores: 3.9/5

William Shakespeare is also the author of the tragedy King Lear. It is inspired by the legendary Leir of Britain. So what is the plot? In anticipation of his old age, King Lear shares his authority and territory with his two daughters. He becomes poor, deranged, and grows into the focal point of political maneuverings.

On Saint Stephen's Day in 1606, the first known staging of King Lear took place. The 1608 quarto (Q1), the 1620 quarto (Q2, unauthorized and based on Q1), and the 1624 First Folio are the three surviving editions from which many contemporary editors extract their texts.

The quarto editions are notably different from the folio edition. Indeed, the play was regularly rewritten during the English Revolution to appease audiences who despised its originally gloomy and sad tone. Still, since the nineteenth century, the original play has been acknowledged as one of Shakespeare's greatest works. The lead part and supporting roles have both been pursued by talented performers, and the piece has been reworked several times to suit the taste of audiences in each era.

How about the inspiration for this play? Shakespeare's play is inspired by numerous tales of the legendary Brythonic character Leir of England, whose name has been connected by some scholars to the Brythonic deity Lir, despite the fact that the names had no etymological connection.

Year of Release: 1605

Goodreads Score: 3.91/5

Romeo and Juliet was a tragic play written early in William Shakespeare's career. It was about two teenage lovers whose deaths finally bring peace to their fighting families. "Romeo and Juliet" is one of the most famous plays written by William Shakespeare throughout his life, and also among his most performed works. Today, the protagonists of this famous play are seen as archetypical youthful lovers.

Romeo and Juliet is a part of a tradition of sad love stories that dates back to antiquity. The storyline is inspired by an Italian story - transcribed into poetry by Arthur Brook in 1563 as The Tragical Tale of Romeus and Juliette - and repeated in prose by William Painters in Palaces of Pleasure in 1567. Shakespeare drew substantially from both, but he enlarged the story by including a number of secondary characters, especially Mercutio and Paris.

The drama, assumed to have been composed between 1592 and 1596, was published for the first time in quarto format in 1597. However, the text of the initial quarto printing was of low quality; hence, subsequent editions modified the text so that it was closer to Shakespeare's original.

Shakespeare's utilization of poetic story structure (incorporating more dramatic effects by moving between tragedy and comedy to heighten suspense, developing more side characters and several subplots to enhance the tale) has been lauded as an early indication of his theatrical genius. The play has been constantly adapted for stage, cinema, musical, and opera productions multiple times.

Year of Release: 1597

Goodreads Score: 3.7/5