Page 25 - DENG203_ELECTIVE_ENGLISH_IV

Elective English—IV

Notes King Henry IV Part 1 1597-98 (1598);
King Henry IV Part 2 1597-98 (1600);
King Henry V 1598-99 (1600);
Richard II 1600-01 (1597);
Richard III 1601 (1597); and

King Henry VIII 1612-13 (1623)

2.2.4 Comedy Themed Plays

Being the great writer that he was William Shakespeare also wrote several comedies during his
early period. The several masterpieces written by him include:
Taming of the Shrew first performed 1593-94 (1623),
Comedy of Errors 1594 (1623),
Two Gentlemen of Verona 1594-95 (1623),
Love’s Labour’s Lost 1594-95 (1598),
Midsummer Night’s Dream 1595-96 (1600),
Merchant of Venice 1596-1597 (1600),

Much Ado About Nothing 1598-1599 (1600),
As You Like It 1599-00 (1623),
Merry Wives of Windsor 1600-01 (1602),
Troilus and Cressida 1602 (1609),
Twelfth Night 1602 (1623),
All’s Well That Ends Well 1602-03 (1623),
Measure for Measure 1604 (1623),
Pericles, Prince of Tyre 1608-09 (1609),
William Shakespeare in his final period also wrote numerous tragicomedies. These were graver
in tone than the comedies but they weren’t dark tragedies of Macbeth or King Lear because they
end with forgiveness and reconciliation.
Tempest (1611),
Cymbeline 1611-12 (1623),
Winter’s Tale 1611-12 (1623).

2.3 Death

Tradition says that William Shakespeare died on his birthday on 23rd April, 1616, though
several scholars feel that this is a myth. Church records indicate that Shakespeare was interred
at Trinity Church on April 5, 1616.
William Shakespeare in his will left a major part of his possessions to Susanna, his eldest
daughter. Although eligible to get one third of his estate, not much seems to have gone to
Shakespeare’s wife, Anne, whom he gave his “second-best bed.” This has spread rumour that
maybe the couple was not close. Though, there isn’t much evidence that the couple had a difficult
marriage.

20 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY