Identical twins separated at birth provides the foundation for humour in one of Shakespeare's earlier plays. The young twin sons of Egeon, alongside another set of young twin boys, purchased as slaves, are lost to one another during a tempest at sea. Egeon, who saves one son and his slave by tying them to the mast, is separated from his wife, who is rescued with their other boy and his slave. As each searches for the other, the stage is set for a...

Treachery and betrayal are the order of the day during the reign of King John of England (1199-1216.) After he is forced to recognize the illegitimate son of his dead brother, King Richard I, King John finds himself under siege by the French king, Philip. At the same time, his appointment of an archbishop without the pope's consent result in John's excommunication from the church, and his nobles' divided loyalties are revealed as they choose between...

Love and redemption rule the stage in The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Departing Verona for Milan, Valentine begs Proteus to join him. In love with Julia, Proteus demurs, only to be commanded to Milan by his father. In Milan, Proteus quickly forgets Julia, and falls in love with Silvia, the object of Valentine's affection. Desperate to win Silvia's affections Proteus betrays Valentine, only to have his treachery revealed in full view of Julia, who has...

Desperate for a son and heir, King Henry VIII risks both his realm and his immortal soul when he divorces Katherine of Aragon in favour of Anne "Bullen." The last of Shakespeare's histories, Henry VIII remains famous for more than just its subject matter-a mishap during the performance of the play resulted in the original Globe theatre burning to the ground. Known as "The Bard of Avon," William Shakespeare is arguably the greatest English-language...

When the king of Denmark suddenly dies, his brother, Claudius, ascends the throne and marries the king's widow, Gertrude, to solidify his reign. Prince Hamlet, sullen after his father's passing and mother's sudden remarriage, soon learns the treacherous truth about his father's death, and swears to take his revenge on the man responsible. Known as "The Bard of Avon," William Shakespeare is arguably the greatest English-language writer known. Enormously...

When Ferdinand, the king of Navarre, and his companions swear off of the company of women for three years in order to study and fast, they find themselves wholly unprepared for the lack of female company. And when the Princess of France and her ladies arrive, Ferdinand and his lords find themselves beguiled by the beautiful women with comedic consequences. Known as "The Bard of Avon," William Shakespeare is arguably the greatest English-language writer...

Believing his wife, Hermione, to be unfaithful, King Leontes of Sicilia, orders her new-born child abandoned in the wilderness. But when Hermione's fidelity is proven by the divinations of the Oracle of Delphi, Leontes is cursed to have no heir until his daughter is found. Sixteen years later, the abandoned child, now the shepherdess Perdita, returns to Sicilia seeking refuge, only to learn her true identity. Known as "The Bard of Avon," William Shakespeare...

Spanning approximately fifty years beginning with the coronation of the king upon the death of Henry V and concluding with the fall of the House of Lancaster, William Shakespeare's Henry VI trilogy reveals the king's struggles under the pressures of prolonged wars with his foreign territories in France and Ireland, and the civil war that threatens his reign. At the beginning of Henry VI, Part III, England is now a nation divided. Unable to maintain...

Madly in love with Cressida, Trojan prince Troilus is heartbroken when she is traded to the Greeks in a prisoner exchange. Amidst the turmoil of the two lovers, Greece and Troy remain at war with Agamemnon, the king of the Greeks, and Priam, the king of Troy, at their respective helms. Shakespeare's most experimental and undefinable play, Troilus and Cressida's interweaving plots tell various stories of the Trojan War. Known as "The Bard of Avon,"...

Known for his generosity, Timon of Athens's largesse is frequently exploited by those who seek to benefit from his fortunes. But when Timon's fortune is exhausted, and he is forced to seek assistance from those who he has helped in the past, he quickly learns who his true friends are. Known as "The Bard of Avon," William Shakespeare is arguably the greatest English-language writer known. Enormously popular during his life, Shakespeare's works continue...