The ten best Shakespeare plays of all time

10. The Merchant of Venice

When was it written?

1596

What's. it. about?
Things. get. a. teeny. bit. anti-Semitic. when. a. Venetian. noble. defaults. on. a. loan. to. a. Jewish. merchant.

Why's. it. so. good?
Troubling. and. complex,. it’s. proven. endlessly. malleable. as. a. comment. on. Christian. Europe’s. troubled. relationship. with. its. Jewish. population. (and. Portia. is. one. of. the. Bard’s. great. female. characters).

 

9. Romeo and Juliet

When. was. it. written?
1594

What's. it. about?
The. children. of. mortal. enemies. fall. for. each. other.. It. all. gets. a. bit. :’(.

Why's. it. so. good?
It’s. the. uber-love. story,. the. template. for. every. tale. of. doomed. romance. ever. written.. Everything. else. is. just. a. variation.

 

8. The Tempest

When. was. it. written?
1611

What's. it. about?
Sorcerer. and. single. dad. Prospero. takes. revenge. on. his. enemies. –. magic. style..

Why's. it. so. good?
Full. of. magic. and. spectacle,. Shakespeare’s. deeply. layered. . final. play. also. tends. to. look. bloody. spectacular. when. staged.

 

7. Twelfth Night

When. was. it. written?
1599

What's. it. about?
A. Shakespeare. trope. overload:. romantic. cross-dressing. with. twins. and. a. shipwreck.

Why's. it. so. good?
A. big,. grown-up. comedy. about. identity. and. lost. love. that. rewrites,. supercharges. and. outclasses. all. his. previous. comedies.

 

6. Othello

When. was. it. written?
1604

What's. it. about?
What. happens. when. race. relations. in. sixteenth-century. Venice. don’t. go. terribly. well.

Why's. it. so. good?
The. most. powerful. play. about. racism. ever. written,. but. moreover. a. terrifying. study. in. the. destructive. power. of. jealousy.

 

5. King Lear

When. was. it. written?
1605

What's. it. about?
A. father-of-three. takes. early. retirement. and. goes. a. little. bit. nuts.

Why's. it. so. good?
The. last. of. Shakespere’s. great. tragedies,. this. wild,. elemental. play. about. a. tyrant. losing. his. mind. in. old. age. is. a. haunting. vision. of. collapse.

 

4. Much Ado About Nothing

When. was. it. written?
1598

What's. it. about?
Extreme. sassiness. in. the. Sicilian. countryside.

Why's. it. so. good?
Full. of. gags. and. one-liners,. it's. one. of. Shakespeare's. biggest. crowd. pleasers. about. how. bloody. hilarious. it. is. when. people. make. a. big. hullabaloo. about. nothing.. Lol.

 

3. Midsummer Night's Dream

When. was. it. written?
1595
What's. it. about?
A. bunch. of. insane. fairies. attempt. to. solve. the. romantic. problems. of. some. mortals. lost. in. a. wood.
Why's. it. so. good?
People. love. this. exuberant. magical. comedy. –. it’s. the. ultimate. crowd pleaser. and. the. perfect. summer. play.

Where. can. I. see. it. in. 2019?
There. are. three. major. productions. scheduled. for. 2019.
Bridge. Theatre. Jun. 3-Aug. 31.
Regent’s. Park. Open. Air. Theatre. Jun. 28-Jul. 27.
Shakespeare’s. Globe.. Jun. 28-Oct. 13..

2. Macbeth

When. was. it. written?
1605

What's. it. about?
A. Scottish. lord. is. persuaded. to. commit. brutal. murder. by. his. wife,. who. promptly. gets. all. guilty. about. it.

Why's. it. so. good?
Short,. thrilling. and. charged. with. the. supernatural,. this. dark. tragedy. about. the. consequences. of. a. Scottish. lord’s. terrible. lust. for. power. is. probably. Shakespeare’s. most. ‘modern’. and. accessible. play.

 

1. Hamlet

When. was. it. written?
1600

What's. it. about?
A. student. ponders. the. meaning. of. life. when. he. should. be. on. a. killing. spree.

Why's. it. so. good?
What. is. there. left. to. say. about. ‘Hamlet’?. It. reputation. is. so. towering. it’s. hard. to. be. objective. about. it,. but. this. epic. about. a. young. man. contemplating. his. own. mortality. while. attempting. to. avenge. his. father. is. certainly. a. pretty. hot. contender. for. the. greatest. thing. ever. written. in. English.