Readers would be hard-pressed to find a figure who has had more influence on the English language and literature than poet and playwright William Shakespeare. Our Shakespeare study guide collection will help teachers, students, and general readers alike interpret and analyze the language, themes, and symbols in some of Shakespeare's most monumental plays, including Macbeth, Hamlet, and King Lear.
Publication year 1611
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Society: Colonialism
Tags Classic Fiction, Elizabethan Era, Play: Drama, Modern Classic Fiction, Play: Comedy / Satire, Romance, Relationships, Race / Racism, British Literature, Education, Education, Drama / Tragedy, Fantasy
The Tempest is a comic play by William Shakespeare. It is one of Shakespeare’s most popular works, along with Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, among others. The Tempest recounts the story of Prospero, the overthrown duke of Milan, who maroons his betrayers on a magical island. There, he creates spells and enchantments that toy with the evildoers until they promise to restore his throne. The production, first staged in London in... Read The Tempest Summary
Publication year 1623
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: Class, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge
Tags Classic Fiction, Play: Tragedy, Play: Comedy / Satire, Romance, Education, Education, History: World, Drama / Tragedy
The Winter’s Tale is a late romance play in five acts by William Shakespeare. Originally published in the First Folio of 1623 but debuted onstage circa 1611, the play follows a man’s reckless jealousy as it destroys his family and his own conscience. Shakespeare’s play is based on the romance Pandosto: The Triumph of Time by the Elizabethan author Robert Greene published in 1588, with Shakespeare taking a more lighthearted approach to Greene’s story toward... Read The Winter's Tale Summary
Publication year 1602
Genre Play, Fiction
Tags Classic Fiction, Elizabethan Era, Humor, Education, Education, Romance
Exploring themes of love, gender, and identity, William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, or What You Will was first performed in England in 1602 and first published in 1623 after Shakespeare’s death. Twelfth Night takes its title from the twelfth night of Christmas, a raucous holiday marked with feasting and entertainment. The subtitle What You Will refers to freedom or a lack of restriction. This guide refers to the Folger Shakespeare Library edition of the text. Plot Summary The... Read Twelfth Night Summary
Publication year 1593
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Classic Fiction, Romance, Mythology, Love / Sexuality, British Literature, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Fantasy