William Shakespeare's Works/Comedies

Prospero and Miranda, from The Tempest.

The Comedies of Shakespeare

Shakespeare covered a wide range of themes and characters in his comedies. Three comedies that were performed and published in 1594, towards the end of the first period, will show this neatly.

For example, in A Midsummer Night's Dream, he covered marriage in Fairyland, with well-known characters such as Titania and Oberon (the king and queen of Fairyland), and more purely comic characters such as Bottom. The scenery is often very lavish for this play, and many performances take place outdoors.

In The Taming of the Shrew, another play about marriage and love, Katherine is the headstrong daughter of a king, until she meets her match in Petruchio.

The Merchant of Venice is all about the lives of Venetian merchants.

Twelfth Night was commissioned for James I and played when Shakespeare was a member of the King's Men, or about that time. It is a play about the English tradition of Epiphany, which is on January 6.

The Plays

• All's Well That Ends Well Script
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• As You Like It Script
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• The Comedy of Errors Script
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• The Tragedy of Cymbeline Script
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• Love's Labours Lost Script
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• Measure for Measure Script
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• The Merry Wives of Windsor Script
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• The Merchant of Venice Script
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• A Midsummer Night's Dream Script
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• Much Ado About Nothing Script
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• Pericles, Prince of Tyre Script
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• The Taming of the Shrew Script
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• The Tempest Script
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• Troilus and Cressida Script
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• Twelfth Night Script
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• Two Gentlemen of Verona Script
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• Two Noble Kinsmen Script
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• The Winter's Tale Script
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