Table of Contents:
  • 1. The Medieval background. Miracles ; Morals ; The interlude
  • 2. The impact of the Renaissance. Classical form ; Romantic spirit
  • 3. The new comedy
  • 4. The young Shakespeare
  • 5. Apprentice work. The comedy of errors ; The two gentlemen of Verona ; Love's labour's lost ; A midsummer night's dream
  • 6. The master craftsman. The merchant of Venice ; The taming of the shrew ; Much ado about nothing ; As you like it ; Twelfth night
  • 7. The early Tragedies. Titus Andronicus ; Romeo and Juliet
  • 8. The early histories. King Henry VI part I ; King Henry VI parts II and III ; Richard III ; King John ; Richard II
  • 9. The Falstaff plays. Henry IV parts I and II, and Henry V ; The merry wives of Windsor ; Minor figures in the Falstaff plays
  • 10. The tragic period. Julius Caesar ; Hamlet ; Othello ; King Lear ; Timon of Athens ; Macbeth ; Antony and Cleopatra ; Coriolanus
  • 11. The problem comedies. Troilus and Cressida ; All's well that ends well ; Measure for measure
  • 12. The sunset. Pericles ; Cymbeline ; The winter's tale ; The tempest
  • 13. Conclusion.