Last Updated: April 24, 2018
The plays and epic poetry of William Shakespeare…
…arranged into the order of their internal chronology by the late, great Isaac Asimov.
- Venus and Adonis
- Poem published 1593, set in the era of myths.
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream
- Play first staged in 1595 or 1596, set in the era of the Greek heroes.
- The Two Noble Kinsmen
- Play first staged in 1613 or 1614, set in the era of the Greek heroes. Co-written with John Fletcher.
- Troilus and Cressida
- Play first staged in 1603, set in the era of the Greek heroes.
- Timon of Athens
- Play written in 1605-6, set in the era of Classical Greece. Co-written with Thomas Middleton.
- The Winter’s Tale
- Play written in 1610-11, set in the era of Classical Greece.
- The Comedy of Errors
- Play written in 1594, set in the era of Classical Greece.
- Pericles, Prince of Tyre
- Play written in 1607-8, set in the era of Classical Greece. Co-written with George Wilkins.
- The Rape of Lucrece
- Poem published 1594, set in the Roman Kingdom.
- Coriolanus
- Play written in 1607-8, set in the Roman Kingdom.
- Julius Caesar
- Play written in 1599, set in the Roman Empire.
- Antony and Cleopatra
- Play written in 1606–07, set in the Roman Empire.
- Titus Andronicus
- Play first performed in 1594, set in the Roman Empire.
- King Lear
- Play written in 1605-6, set in pre-Norman Britain.
- Cymebline
- Play first performed in 1611, set in pre-Norman Britain.
Hamlet- Play written in 1599-1602, set in pre-Norman Britain.
- Macbeth
- Play written in 1606, set in pre-Norman Britain.
- King John
- Play written in 1587-98, set in Middle Ages Britain.
- Edward III
- Play first printed in 1586, set in Middle Ages Britain. Co-written with Thomas Kyd.
- Richard II
- Play written in 1597, set in Middle Ages Britain.
- King Henry IV, Part 1
- Play first performed in 1597, set in Middle Ages Britain.
- King Henry IV, Part 2
- Play written in 1596-9, set in Middle Ages Britain.
- The Merry Wives of Windsor
- Play first performed in 1597, set in Middle Ages Britain.
- Henry V
- Play written in 1599, set in Middle Ages Britain.
- King Henry VI, Part 1
- Play first performed in 1592, set in Middle Ages Britain.
- King Henry VI, Part 2
- Play written in 1591-2, set in Middle Ages Britain.
- King Henry IV, Part 3
- Play written in 1591-2, set in Middle Ages Britain.
- Richard III
- Play written in 1591, set in Middle Ages Britain.
- King Henry VIII
- Play first performed in 1613, set in Middle Ages Britain.
- Sir Thomas More
- Play first performed by 1594, set during the reign of King Henry VIII. Co-written with Anthony Munday and Henry Chettle.
- Love’s Labour’s Lost
- Play written in 1595-6, set in Renaissance Italy.
- The Taming of the Shrew
- Play written in 1592, set in Renaissance Italy.
- The Two Gentlemen of Verona
- Play written in 1590-1, set in Renaissance Italy.
- Romeo and Juliet
- Play written in 1591-5, set in Renaissance Italy.
- The Merchant of Venice
- Play written in 1596-7, set in Renaissance Italy.
- Much Ado About Nothing
- Play written in 1598-9, set in Renaissance Italy.
- As You Like It
- Play written in 1598-9, set in Renaissance Italy.
- Twelfth Night
- Play written in 1600-1, set in Renaissance Italy.
- All’s Well That Ends Well
- Play written in 1604-5, set in Renaissance Italy.
- Othello
- Play written in 1603-4, set in Renaissance Italy.
- Measure for Measure
- Play written in 1603-4, set in Renaissance Italy.
- The Tempest
- Play written in 1610-11, set in Renaissance Italy.
- Double Falsehood
- Play written in 1612-13, set in Renaissance Spain. Co-written by John Fletcher (as ‘Cardenio’), and reconstructed by Lewis Theobald in 1727.