The writings of William Shakespeare can’t be compared in the history of literature. He was a versatile English poet, playwright and actor. He has written closely 38 plays, 154 sonnets and innumerable poems between 1582–1612, which are read and discussed even up to now. They had important impact on English literature and western theatre. All his writings have been interpreted into various languages and they are performed around different countries more than a million times.
Though most of his writings target the English audience the appeal was comprehensive. His writing style was greatly influenced by Christopher Marlowe. In 1594, Shakespeare became part-owner of Lord Chamberlain’s Men, a drama company. By then he had even started acting, along with writing plays. Under his presence the company became so famous which made King James I purchase the company and then it was named as King’s men.
His works revolved around tragedy, romance, comedy, and history. He started his career reworking on other writers work which was common at that time. Since then he helped the playwrights to finish their work fast. Like Hamlet was the new adaptation of a lost play named Ur-Hamlet and King Lear was the new version of King Leir. His plays on history were inspired by the Greek, Roman and English history. Plays like Plutarch’s Parallel Lives and Raphael Holinshed’s The Chronicle of England inspired plays like Macbeth and King Lear. Tempest was his original work.
Shakespeare’s early works of 1590s were based on romantic comedies and historic nostalgia which were the storyline of works like A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Henry IV, Part I. After the plague, he started including rhymed couplets and dramatic dialogues in his writings. His middle period works focused around betrayal, murder, egoism, power, ambition, lust, tragedy and comedy. Plays like Othello, Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, Troilus and Cressida were based on them. His later works were mostly romantic and fantasies such as The Winter’s Tale and The Tempest. His works were also published in press as a series of quartos. Two actors named John Heminges and Henry Condell embarked on First Folio to reward and publish Shakespeare’s work exclusively in 1623. Categories such as comedies, tragedies and histories were made in First Folio. Modern critics have added up categories like problem-play and tragic-comedies.
The exact order of plays is unknown and has been the subject of debate during that period, plays weren’t authoritatively printed. A number of his plays had various blueprints and because of technical glitches like printing errors and reading mistakes, so the recognition of his original work is a problem. Shakespeare coined many words. One of the peculiarities of his works is his habit of writing them a number of times using different words and spellings. After his death, there came the questions on the authenticity of his work. There are only little accounts about his life and nor even his will gives details on his ownership of the Globe theater. It has been rumored that they might be works of Francis Bacon or Christopher Marlowe.
His works that have been lost are Cardenio, Love’s Labour’ Won, and Quixote. A Midsummer Night’s Dream, King Lear, As You Like It, Hamlet, The Taming of the Shrew, Othello, The Tempest, and Macbeth are some the critically acclaimed works of William Shakespeare.
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