Shakespeare plots

All's Well That Ends Well

Helena love Bertram, who leaves to attend to the King. Helena goes to Paris to try to cure the King's fistula, which has resisted all cures. If she fails, she will be executed; if she succeeds, she may marry any courtier. She succeeds, but But Bertram spurns her unless she can obtain his ring, which she does through a ruse.

Antony and Cleopatra

The story of a love affair and of the final Roman civil war, ending with Octavius' victory at Actium. The title character commits suicide when he falsely hears his lover is dead. His lover then kills herself with the bite of an asp rather than be made captive by Octavius.

As You Like It

A complicated tale of sibling rivalry; Oliver vs. Orlando; Duke Frederick vs. his brother. Orlando is in exile, as is the disguised Rosalind. In the end, all rivals are reconciled; Orlando and Rosalind marry.

The Comedy of Errors

Mistaken identities among the two sets of twins, as Aegeon tries to reunite his family long seperated by a storm at sea; one set of master and servant from Ephesus, the other from Syracuse. Based on the Latin comedy "The Twins," by Plautus.

Coriolanus

Brave but modest Marcius, called TITLE for his victory over the Volsci at ______, cannot bring himself to campaign for votes in the election for consul; Sicinius and Brutus use this to turn the people against him. Marcius allies himself with Tullus, his former foe, against Rome. THeir march on Rome is turned back by Volumnia's pleas to her son; in the Volscian camp he allows himself to be killed in a conspiracy led by Tullus, who only recognizes Marcius' nobility after he is dead.

Cymbeline

TITLE character's wife plots against Imogen, his daughter by his first marriage. TITLE banishes Posthumus who comes to doubt Imogen's faithfulness to him during his exile in Rome and plots to kill her. Imogen disguises herself as a man and is helped by her long-lost brothers, without knowing who the are. The Queen instigates a Roman invasion of Britain, which the brothers and Posthumus defeat; the Queen dies and all are reconciled.

Hamlet

TITLE is upset that, upon his father's apparently accidental death, his uncle Claudius usurped the throne and married his mother. HIs father's ghost appears, revealing that Claudius murdered him and seduced Gertrude; the ghost tells TITLE to seek revenge. Hamlet feigns madness to mask his purposes. He stages a play, "The Murder of Gonzaga," re-creating his father's murder and proving Claudius' guild by his recreation. When TITLE confronts the Queen, he kills Polonius, who had hidden in her room. TITLE survivesassassination when sent with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to England. Laertes joins Claudius in a plot to kill TITLE during a fencing match, either via a poisioned blade or drink. Ophelia, rejected by TITLE, goes mad upon the death of her father, and drowns in a stream. At the fencing match Gertrude unknowingly drinks from the poisoned cup and Laertes wounds TITLE. The blades get switched TITLE stabs Laertes fatally with the poisoned one. Gertrude now falls from her poison and dies. Laertes reveals the plot and TITLE kills Claudius. TITLE wills his kingdom to Fortinbras, Prince of Norway, and dies in Horatio's arms. TITLE is Shakespeare's longest play; the title role is Shakespeare's longest part.

Henry IV

Having deposed Richard II, Henry must face various threats to his rule. Hal, however, leads a riotous life with the cowardly, blustering Falstaff and various lowlifes at the Boar's Head Tavern in Eastcheap. Finally, Hal rises to his station, killing rebellious Hotspur in battle. When he succeeds to the throne, Hal, now Henry X, dismisses Falstaff and turns to the duties of Kingship.

Henry V

TITLE has a potential claim to the French throne; the Dauphin insults him for this pretension, provoking a war. TITLE invades France, barely winning the siege of Harfleur. A large French army traps Henry and his outnumbered troops at Agincourt, where he wins a crushing victory. TITLE successfully woos Princess Katherine. As an aside, Falstaff dies as his friends prepare to leave the army for France.

Henry VI

The story of the War of the Roses between the House of York (White Rose) and the house of Lancaster (Red Rose), and of the Hundred Years' War between England and France. Under weak King TITLE, the two branches of the royal house vie for power while France regains its lost territory. Ultimately, the Dukes of York and Suffolk, Prince Edward and TITLE are all killed. Edward IV ascend the throne. The story is completed in another play.

Henry VIII

A retelling of TITLE's first divorce, from Katherine, in his search for an heir. TITLE falls in love with Ane Boleyn; Wolsey will arrange the divorce but cannot support the remarriage. Wolsey falls from office, but dies before he can be tried. Cranmer supports the King, including his break with Rome. This was the last play performed at the Globe before the theater burned after an errant shot by a stage cannon.

Julius Caesar

Cassius and others plot to kill TITLE, fearing his dictatorial tendencies. Cassius induces Brutus ("the noblest Roman"), TITLE's friend, to join the plot. They kill TITLE on the Ides of March, but Antony turns the Romans against the assassins with his funeral oration. Antony allies with TITLE's young nephew, Octavius. They defeat the assassins at Phillippi; Cassius and Brutus commit suicide.

King John

The story of TITLE's seizure of the throne after the death of his brother, Richard the Lionheart, and despite the claims of Arthur. TITLE has Arthur blinded; he later dies trying to escape. TITLE is poisoned by a monk.

King Lear

TITLE plans to divide his kingdom among his daughters asking each to proclaim their love for him. Goneril and Regan flatter him; Cordelia refuses to do more than offer him the proper love and devotion. Outraged, TITLE denies Cordelia her portion and exiles her and her defender, the Earl of Kent. Edmund tricks Gloucester into exiling Edgar. Goneril and Regan strip away TITLE's remaining rights; he goes mad and is alone except for his Fool. Cordelia invades with a French army and finds the mad TITLE, but she is defeated by her sisters an Edmund. The victors fall out among themselves; Goneril kills Regan and commits suicide; Edmund's treachery is unmasked. TITLE enters, carrying Cordelia, whom Edmund had hanged. Then he dies as well.

The Life of Timon of Athens

Wealthy TITLE, a patron of the arts and banquet-giver, is easily flattered, as Apemantus warns him. A rumor spreads questioning TITLE's wealth; his creditors demand payment and his former guests all refuse to help. TITLE invites them to a final feast, where he decries their conduct and withdraws from Athens to live in a vace, hating all mankind. TITLE discovers a hoard of gold but remains bitter and refuses to help Athens against the unscrupulous Alcibiades. News of TITLE's death closes the play.

Love's Labour Lost

Ferdinand and his courtiers pledge to turn the court into an academy and to forgo women for three years while they study, but they fall in love with the Princess and respective members of the court, and try to keep this secret from one another. The King of France dies and the Princess must go home; the other couples also must each separate for a year.

Macbeth

TITLE and Banquo meet three witches who foretell of TITLE's eventual ascendancy to the throne. This stirs TITLE's and his wife's ambition. TITLE murders DUncan when the King stays at TITLE's castle, Dunsinane. TITLE seizes the throne; now he becomes suspicious of everyone. First he has Banquo murderedl then Macduff's family. Lady TITLE consumed by guilt, sleepwalks at night trying to clean imaginary blood from her hand; she dies. Macduff leads an army against TITLE and kills him; Malcolm is proclaimed king. In theater legend, TITLE is considered an unlucky play to perform and is never referred to by name, but as "the Scottish play."

Measure for Measure

Vincentio suddenly gives Angelo control of Vienna. ANgelo orders strict enforcement of the old law ordering death for lovers living together before marriage. Claudio is the first to be sentenced. When Isabella pleads with Angelo for her brother's life, Angelo finds himself lusting for her. He hypocritically offers to spare Claudio if Isabella will become his mistress. Vincentio disguised as a friar, reappears and sets everything right, and weds Isabella.

The Merchant of Venice

Antonio borrows money from Shylock; the security is "a pound of flesh." Portia, wooed by many, asks each suitor to choose among caskets of gold, silver, and lead for permission to marry her; Bassanio correctly chooses the leaden one. When Antoni's load is due and Shylock tries to collect, Balthazar, a lawyer (Portia in disguise) argues that Shylock is entitled only to the flesh but no blood. Shylock relents and says he will take the money Bassanio offered for his friend. But by threatening a Venetian's life, Shylock must forfeit half his goods to Venice and half to Antonio, and must convert. Jessica marries Lorenzo.

The Merry Wives of Windsor

More of Falstaff's cavorting; largely a play written to revive this popular character.

A Midsummer Night's Dream

THeseus woos his captive, Hipployta, as their wedding nears. Oberon argues with Titania. Hermia refuses to wed Demetrius, risking execution; she loves Lysander; Helena loves Demetrius. In the woods, their relationshops are confused as Puck administers a love potion to the wrong lovers. He also gives some to Titania, who falls in love with Bottom, whom Oberon had given the head of an ass. In the end, the couples are happily sorted out; the tradesmen perform "Pyramus and Thisbe" at the royal wedding.

Much Ado About Nothing

The stormy and comic romance of Beatrice, who has long spurned men, and Benedick, her acerbic equal, aided by their various friends and relations.

Othello

TITLE is a commander in the Venetian military and is sent to defend Cyprus against the Turks. Iago, passed over for promotion in favor of Cassio, plots to ruin his rival and TITLE. He tricks Cassio into drunkenness and arouses TITLE's jealousy, hinting that Cassio and Desdemona were lovers. As his jealousy consumes him, TITLE smothers the innocent Desdemona. TITLE then learns the truth and kills himself; Cassio brings Iago to justice.

Pericles, Prince of Tyre

TITLE marries Thaisa; she is separated from him and Marina, who is in turn separated from TITLE. She spends time in a brothel, where her virtue preserves her innocence. They are all happily reunited in the end.

Richard II

TITLE exiles Bolingbroke, a rival. For upbraiding him about his misrule, TITLE confiscates all of Gaunt's property after his death. While TITLE is in Ireland, Bolingbroke becomes Henry IV. Richard is killed at Pontefract Castle.

Richard III

TITLE, Duke of GLoucester, plots to remove all those who stand between him and the throne. He has Clarence sent to the Tower, where he is later murdered. Named protector and guardian of young Edward V upon the King's death, Richard sends him and his younger brohter to the Tower "for their safety." After he usurps the throne, with Buckingham's help, he has the two princes killed. Henry Tudor, a descendant of Edward III, lands a rebel army in Britain and defeats and kills Richard at Bosworth Field. Henry is proclaimed Henry VII, ending the War of the Roses.

Romeo and Juliet

The Montagues and Capulets have a longstanding, bloody feud. TITLE characters fall in love and secretly marry, even as the feud claims Tybalt and Mercutio. TITLE MALE is banished for Tybalt's death. TITLE FEMALE feigns her death via a drug as a ruse to escape to join TITLE MALE. Unaware of her plan, TITLE MALE returns, fins her "dead," and takes poison. She awakens, sees his dead body, and kills herself with his dagger. Their deaths force the two families to end their feud.

This play is the inspiration for Leonard Bernsetin's "West Side Story."

The Taming of the Shrew

Bianca, the younger sister, cannot marry until Katherina does, but she disdains all suitors. Petruchio gains their father's consent to marry Katherina. He wins her heart by feigning indifference, until she is the most affectionate and loving wife.

Inspiration for the musical "Kiss Me Kate"

The Tempest

Prospero and Mirand live on an island, where he practices magic. He creates a TITLE that brings the enemies who deposed him to the island; they are shipwrecked and separated. Miranda meets Ferdindand; they fall in love. Prospero uses his magical powers, and Ariel, to confound his guests and to defeat the Caliban's plots against him. All the rivalries are ended; Prospero frees Ariel as he had long promised.

This was Shakespeare's last play.

Titus Andronicus

TITLE lost 21 of his 25 sons in wars. He returns to Rome with his prisoners; Tamora and her three sons, one of whom is sacrifieced as part of the burial of TITLE's son. Revenge and more revenge ensues. This was Shakespeare's first tragedy and is renowned for its violence (Aaron chops off TITLE's hand; Lavinia is raped and mutilated; Tamora's sons are killed and served to her in a pie).

Troilus and Cressida

In Troy, TITLE characters fall in love; but TITLE FEMALE whose father, Calchas, defected to the Greeks, is exchanged for a Trojan prisioner. TITLE characters exchanged love tokens. During a truce TITLE MALE sees TITLE FEMALE give his token to Diomedes. THe truce ends; war resumes, with Achilles killing Hector.

Twelfth Night

Viola and Sebastion are shipwrecked and separated in Illyria; Viola dresses as a man (Cesario) and meetsOlivia who falls in love with "him." Viola however, falls in love with the Duke who is enamored of Olivia. In the end Olivia is matched with Sebastion (who resembles his "twin" Cesario), and the Duke with Viola. TITLE refers to the Epiphany; at country house revels the social order was reversed: lords waited on their stewards, etc... This was Shakespeare's last true comedy.

The Two Gentlemen of Verona

Two different styles of love; Proteus' inconstancy and Valentine's head-over heels approach. After much travail, including Valentine's exile among outlaws, both couples are happily united.

The Winter's Tale

Leontes suspects Hermione and Polixenes of adultery; she and her infant apparently die in childbirth. Antigonus secretly raises Perdita in Bohemia; she meets Florizel and they fall in love. Polixenes, not knowing who she is, objects to the wedding. In the end, all are reconciled, and it is revealed that Hermione is still alive when she is presented to Leontes as a lifelike statue.