Shakespeare's major plays and their plots
20 cards · arts-culture
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| Front | Back |
|---|---|
| Hamlet | Tragedy; prince feigns madness to avenge his father's murder by uncle 'To be, or not to be'; Ghost, Ophelia, Claudius; play-within-a-play. |
| Macbeth | Tragedy; a general's ambition and prophecy drive him to regicide and ruin Witches' prophecy; Lady Macbeth; 'Out, damned spot!'; Birnam Wood moves. |
| Romeo and Juliet | Tragedy; star-crossed lovers' secret union ends in fatal mischance Feuding houses; Friar's plan; 'O Romeo, Romeo'; the poison and the dagger. |
| Othello | Tragedy; a general is duped into murderous jealousy by a trusted aide Iago deceives; the handkerchief; 'O, beware, my lord, of jealousy!' |
| King Lear | Tragedy; king divides realm, misjudges daughters, descends into madness Cordelia and the Fool; storm on the heath; 'Nothing will come of nothing.' |
| Julius Caesar | Tragedy; conspirators kill a leader, unleashing rhetoric and civil war 'Et tu, Brute?'; Antony's oration, 'Friends, Romans, countrymen.' |
| Antony and Cleopatra | Tragedy; Roman's passion for Egypt's queen leads to defeat and death Actium defeat; 'Age cannot wither her'; asps and double suicide. |
| A Midsummer Night's Dream | Comedy; fairy mischief entangles lovers and players in a moonlit wood Puck; 'Lord, what fools these mortals be!'; Bottom transformed. |
| Twelfth Night | Comedy; a twin's disguise tangles affections and sparks festive revelry Viola as Cesario; Malvolio's yellow stockings; 'If music be the food of love.' |
| Much Ado About Nothing | Comedy; wit-war lovers unite as plots test honor and trust Beatrice and Benedick; Don John plots; fake death mends honor. |
| As You Like It | Comedy; exiles find love and identity in Arden's pastoral refuge Rosalind as Ganymede; 'All the world's a stage'; forest cures folly. |
| The Merchant of Venice | Comedy; a harsh bond demands flesh until mercy prevails in court Shylock's bond; Portia in disguise; 'The quality of mercy is not strained.' |
| The Taming of the Shrew | Comedy; a strong-willed bride and scheming groom battle for dominance Katherina and Petruchio; 'Kiss me, Kate'; role-play and wager. |
| Measure for Measure | Problem play; a puritan deputy abuses power; justice tests mercy Duke in disguise; Angelo's coercion; bed trick; justice tempered. |
| The Winter's Tale | Romance; jealous king shatters family; time, miracles restore 'Exit, pursued by a bear'; Perdita; living statue reunites family. |
| The Tempest | Romance; exiled mage conjures a storm to reclaim his dukedom Prospero, Miranda, Ariel, Caliban; 'We are such stuff as dreams are made on.' |
| Richard II | History; a king's misrule ends in deposition by his cousin Divine-right questioned; garden scene; 'Let's talk of graves...' |
| Henry IV, Part 1 | History; a wayward prince grows as rebels challenge his father's crown Hal vs. Hotspur; Falstaff; 'I know you all'; honor at Shrewsbury. |
| Henry V | History; warrior king invades France and triumphs at Agincourt 'Once more unto the breach'; St. Crispin speech; Harfleur and Agincourt. |
| Richard III | History; ruthless duke murders his way to England's throne 'Now is the winter of our discontent'; 'A horse! my kingdom for a horse!' |