Hamlet
William Shakespeare · Early Modern · Tragedy
Author guide
William Shakespeare
Shakespeare’s plays were written for performance and range across tragedy, comedy, history, romance, and forms that resist those divisions. A reading order should vary genre and pair reading with performance whenever possible.
Where to start with William Shakespeare
Begin with Macbeth, then follow the suggested sequence below as your interest grows.
Start with MacbethSuggested reading order
Books by William Shakespeare
Othello
William Shakespeare · Early Modern · Tragedy
King Lear
William Shakespeare · Early Modern · Tragedy
Macbeth
William Shakespeare · Early Modern · Tragedy
The Tempest
William Shakespeare · Early Modern · Romance, drama
Richard III
William Shakespeare · Early Modern · Drama / poetry
Romeo and Juliet
William Shakespeare · Early Modern · Drama / poetry
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
William Shakespeare · Early Modern · Drama / poetry
The Merchant of Venice
William Shakespeare · Early Modern · Drama / poetry
Henry IV, Part 1
William Shakespeare · Early Modern · Drama / poetry
Julius Caesar
William Shakespeare · Early Modern · Drama / poetry
Twelfth Night
William Shakespeare · Early Modern · Drama / poetry
Measure for Measure
William Shakespeare · Early Modern · Drama / poetry
Sonnets
William Shakespeare · Early Modern · Drama / poetry
Reading context
The cataloged works span Tragedy, Romance, drama, Drama / poetry. Follow the linked era, genre, and subject pages to place them alongside other works in the collection.
Related authors
Christopher Marlowe
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Ben Jonson
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