The Plays. The Second Period

The Plays. The First Period

We don't know for sure the order in which Shake­speare wrote his plays. But traditionally his literary activity is divided into three periods.

The first falls between 1590 and 1600. His comedies belong to the first period of his creative work. In his plays of that period Shakespeare reflects the spirit of merry England of that time. The plays are full of light, wit and optimism. Even in "Romeo and Juliet", the tragedy that was written during this period, the author didn't stress the note of grief. All the plays are written in the bright manner of the Renaissance.

The plays of the first period are:

1590, — "King Henry VI" (parts 1, 2, 3).

1591 Henry VI (1421 -1471) was murdered during
the Wars of the Roses.

1592 — "King Richard II". Richard II (1377-1399)

was the King of England in 1377-1399. He became very unpopular. He was removed by his cousin Henry IV. In 1399 he was put into prison and died, or was murdered there in 1400. 1592 — "The Comedy of Errors";

1594— "The Two Gentlemen of Verona", "Romeo

and Juliet";

1595 — "Л Midsummer Night's Dream"; 1596— "King John". King John (1167-1216) was

the king of England from 1199 until his

death. He is famous for signing the Magna

Carta in 1215.

1596— "The Merchant of Venice". It is called a
comedy, though Shylock, a bad character, is
the first great tragic figure.

1597— "King Henry IV' (parts 1, 2). Henry IV
(1366-1413) — the King of the Kingdom
from 1399. He was unsuccessful in his at­
tempts to gain control over Wales and Scot­
land.

1598— "Much Ado about Nothing". It is a well-
balanced comedy with excellent dialogues
and monologues based on love affairs.

1598 — "King Henry V. Henry V (1387-1422) — the

king of England from 1413 until his death. He defeated the French at the battle of Agin-court. This battle is described in the play.

1599 — "Julius Caesar". Caesar is the Roman leader

murdered by his friend Brutus, thinking Cae­sar is taking too much power.

1600— "Twelfth Night; or, What You Will". This play is the perfection of English Comedy. It is full of humour and action.

Shakespeare's tragedies belong to the second period of his work. The second period falls between 1600-1608. During that time the author reaches his full maturity. He becomes a great dramatist of the Renais-50

nance, his main ideology is humanism, and he presents the great human problems in his plays. The writer vividly reveals human relations, shows his characters, '.li.ikespeare portrays his personages with sympathy, he I Moves that it is not enough to be wise to become happy, thai human relations depend on social problems. Shake- ipeare's plays of the second period make the dramatist [he greatest humanist of the English Renaissance.

The plays of the second period are:

1601 —"Hamlet, Prince of Denmark"; [602 — "All's Well That Ends Well"; K,04 — "Othello, The Moor of Venice"

[ou'Gelou];

"Measure for Measure";

1605 — "King Lear",

"Macbeth" [nwk'beG];

1606 — "Antony and Cleopatra";

1607 — "Timon of Athens";

1608 — "Pericles, Prince of Tyre" ['perklkz]

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