1590-1592 - The First Part of King Henry VI - The first part of a historical trilogy depicting the early years of the reign of Henry VI, up to the time of his marriage to Margaret of Anjou.

1590-1592 - The Second Part of King Henry VI - The second part of a trilogy beginning after Henry's marriage to Margaret of Anjou, at the beginning of the War of the Roses in which Henry is dominated by the queen

1590-1592 - The Third Part of King Henry VI - it describes the downfall of Henry VI and the rise of Edward IV.

1592 - Two Gentlemen of Verona - An early Shakespearean comedy which depicts the friendship between Valentine and Proteus which later turns into a rivalry over a woman.

1593 - Venus and Adonis - A long narrative poem that tells of Adonis' rejection of the goddess of love.

1593 - Taming of the Shrew - A comedy in which the "shrew," Katherina must marry before her young, desirable sister, Bianca. Petruchio weds Katherina, "tames" her, and clears the way for Bianca's marriage to Lucentio.

1594 - Comedy of Errors - A comedy about twins with the same name, Antipholus. Separated in infancy by a shipwreck, they later search for one another, each with the aid of a slave named Dromio, also twins.

1594 - Rape of Lucrece - The - A long poem dealing with the Roman legend of Lucretia (Lucrece) who is raped by Sextus, the son of the king.

1594 - King Richard III - A historical tragedy, the villainous Richard, the duke of Gloucester, schemes to inherit the crown, ruthlessly eliminating anyone who hinders his progress.

1594 - Love's Labour's Lost - The comedy of Ferdinand, King of Navarre, and his three friends who pledge to study for three years and avoid women. Their plan changes when a French Princess arrives with three ladies.

1594 - Titus Andronicus - A tragedy in which Titus returns to Rome from a war with the Goths, having taken their Queen, Tamora and her three sons as prisoners. Titus kills one of Tamora's sons which leads to more killing.

1595 - King John, The Life and Death of - A history depicting King John's efforts to fend off Arthur, the Duke of Brittany, who is pursuing John's throne.

1595 - Merchant of Venice - A comedy in which Bassanio wishes to travel to see his love, Portia. The trip is financed by Antonio, Merchant of Venice, who borrows money from Shylock in exchange for a pound of flesh.

1595 - King Richard II - A historical tragedy in which King Richard II orders Henry Bolingbroke out of England. Henry later invades England, arrests Richard, and becomes King Henry IV.

1596 - Romeo and Juliet - A romantic tragedy, the story of the passionate love affair between Romeo and Juliet whose families, the Montagues and Capulets, are feuding.

1597-1598 - The First Part of King Henry IV - A history depicting the early years of the reign of England's King Henry IV, in which the king's son, Prince Hal, saves Henry's life.

1597-1598 - The Second Part of King Henry IV - A history completing the depiction of the reign of Henry IV, in which Prince Hal becomes Henry V.

1598 - Much Ado About Nothing - A comedy which focuses on two plots: One is the love affair between the reluctant Beatrice and the confirmed bachelor Benedick, and the other is the courtship between Hero and Claudio.

1598 - Merry Wives of Windsor - A comedy in which Sir Falstaff attempts to seduce Mrs. Page and Mrs. Ford for their money. The ladies discover his plot and develop their own, while Falstaff's cronies report his plan to Mr. Ford.

1598 - Midsummer Night's Dream - One wedding turns into three a comedy about love and fairies that may be the most purely romantic of all of Shakespeare's work.

1598-1609 - Sonnets - A loosely related series of one hundred fifty-four Sonnets. The first part of the collection is addressed to a young friend; the last part is addressed to a mysterious "dark lady."

1598 - Much Ado About Nothing - A comedy which focuses on two plots: One is the love affair between the reluctant Beatrice and the confirmed bachelor Benedick, and the other is the courtship between Hero and Claudio.

1599 - Julius Caesar - A tragedy that tells of Caesar's murder at the hands of a group of conspirators led by Brutus and Cassius. Marc Antony delivers a rousing oration at Caesar's funeral and drives the assassins out of Rome.

1599 - Henry V, The Life of King - The history of the life of Henry V after his coronation and his pursuit of the French throne. The early days of Henry's life are depicted in the two parts of Henry IV.

1600 - Twelfth Night - A comedy in which Sebastian and his twin sister Viola are shipwrecked and each believes the other dead.

1600 - As You Like It - A comedy which contrasts the corruption of the court and the innocence of the country. The plot centers on Rosalind and her family.

1601 - Troilus and Cressida - A tragedy which depicts Troilus, a Trojan Prince, and his discovery that his beloved Cressida is being unfaithful.

1602 - ll's Well that Ends Well - A comedy -- the story of Helena and how she eventually wins the love of her husband, Bertram. This play is a retelling of a familiar legend, taken from Boccaccio's Decameron.

1604 - Othello- The Moor of Venice - the tragedy of Othello, a Moorish general who has chosen Cassio as his lieutenant. His ensign, Iago, feels

1604 - Hamlet, Prince of Denmark - Shakespeare's most famous tragedy, the story of Hamlet's revenge for the murder of his father, the king. Much of the play's renown rests on the thoughtful nature of its title character. slighted and plots his revenge against Cassio and Othello.

1604 - Measure for Measure - A comedy in which Angelo is deputized to oversee the enforcement of Vienna's long-ignored laws by Duke Vincentio -- Vincentio claims to leave the city, but remains, disguised as a Friar.

1605 - King Lear - A noble study of the human spirit. a tragedy in which King Lear decides to divide his kingdom among his daughters according to their declarations of love for him.

1606 - Macbeth - A tragedy the story of Macbeth and the violent nature of his royal ambitions. This play, rich in the supernatural, is Shakespeare's shortest and contains many of his most famous scenes.

1607 - Antony and Cleopatra - The infamous tragedy of the love affair of Marc Antony and Cleopatra

1607 - Timon of Athens - A tragedy in which Timon loses his wealth and finds that he has lost his friends as well. He leaves Athens to live in a cave where he finds a treasure and meets the banished general, Alcibiades.

1608 - Pericles, Prince of Tyre - A drama in which Pericles believes his wife and daughter have died. They are later reunited. This play was written in collaboration with another writer, possibly George Wilkins.

1608 - Coriolanus - The tragedy of Coriolanus, a Roman patrician, who is persuaded to seek election to the consulship and then driven from the city.

1609 - Passionate Pilgrim - A volume of twenty poems, only a few of which are now thought to be legitimate Shakespearean works.

1609 - Phoenix and the Turtle - Published with a group of Shakespeare's ,early poems the Phoenix and the Turtle remains an enigma

1609 - Cymbeline - A comical story of Cymbeline, a mythical King of England and his family: Imogen his daughter, her husband Posthumus, and and her brothers.

1609 - Lover's Complaint - A poem of questionable origin. It was included in the first edition of the Sonnets of Shakespeare, but its legitimacy has since been refuted.

1611 - Henry VIII - The history of Henry VIII's love for Anne Bullen, and his efforts to divorce his wife Katharine.

1611 - The Tempest - Shakespeare's last play is a romantic fantasy about a magician who rules over an enchanted island with his daughter. Considered his most beautiful work, it is a rare reflection of his views on life.

1611 - Winter's Tale - A comedy, Polixenes, King of Bohemia, visits Sicily at the invitation of his friend, King Leontes, who becomes unduly jealous when his wife urges Polixenes to extend his stay.