Shakespeare's Plays Summaries

All's Well That Ends Well

Helena loves 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/trick

Comedy

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.

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. Prince Hal, however, leads a riotous life with the cowardly, blustering Falstaff and various lowlifes at the Boar's Head Tavern in Eastcheap. Finally, Prince Hal rises to his station, succeeds to the throne, now Henry V, and turns to the duties of Kingship.

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

the hero of William Shakespeare's tragedy who was betrayed and mistreated by two of his scheming daughters

TITLE plans to divide his kingdom among his daughters asking each to proclaim their love for him.

Calls himself "a man / more sinned against than sinning" in a scene which sees him encounter a man disguised as Tom o'Bedlam

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

It is considered one of his darkest and most powerful tragedies. Set in Scotland the play is inspired by witch's prophecy, a man murders his way to the throne of Scotland, but his conscience plagues him and his fellow lords rise up against him; themes: unchecked ambition as a corrupting force, relationship between cruelty and masculinity, kingship v. tyranny

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.

In two comic scenes, the central character hides in a basket of dirty laundry and is tricked into dressing as Herne the Hunter

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.

Richard II

He was the last king from the House of York, and his defeat at the Battle of Bosworth marked the culmination of the Wars 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

This was Shakespeare's first tragedy and is renowned for its violence (Aaron chops off the main character's hand; Lavinia is raped and mutilated; Tamora's sons are killed and served to her in a pie).

Twelfth Night

Viola and Sebastion are shipwrecked and separated in Illyria; Viola dresses as a man (Cesario) and meets Olivia, who falls in love with "him." Viola however, falls in love with the Duke.

the more fool, Madonna, to mourn for your brother's soul, being in heaven. Take away the fool, gentlemen