Shakespeare’s Life, Poetry and Plays
Season Two
Henry IV Part 1
Meet the complex protagonist who will transform himself into one of England’s most victorious kings, in one of Shakespeare’s most popular history plays. Learn more …
The Merry Wives of Windsor
Encounter two captivating female protagonists and the ‘proto-feminism’ they introduce into this comedy of wit and revenge. Learn more …
Troilus and Cressida
Discover how Shakespeare wages war against the monumental Troy tradition, in this satiric story of doomed love amidst the Trojan War. Learn more …
Richard II
Watch as a royal monarch embraces the role of tragic hero this surprisingly poetic political thriller. Learn more …
The Taming of the Shrew
In this controversial comedy about a husband “taming” his strong-willed wife, ask whether she really is tamed. Learn more …
Measure for Measure
See how Shakespeare grapples with our most timeless political problems within a deeply moving human story, in his most philosophically charged comedy. Learn more …
Coriolanus
Follow a series of shocking reversals in Shakespeare’s final Roman tragedy, in which an elite soldier turns his Roman training against Rome itself. Learn more …
Love’s Labours Lost
Discover the surprisingly serious themes at the heart of this farcical, linguistically virtuoustic comedy of love. Learn more …
All’s Well That Ends Well
Follow a heroine on her difficult quest to win over the man she loves, in this bittersweet comedy about sickness and cure. Learn more …
Cymbeline
Learn how Shakespeare combines fantasy and history in this epic international romance that resonates unexpectedly with our modern age. Learn more …
Titus Andronicus
Discover how Shakespeare undermines the revered classical tradition in this shockingly violent revenge tragedy of ancient Rome. Learn more …
Antony and Cleopatra
Meet two of Shakespeare’s most mesmerizing protagonists, who suffer political defeat but whose towering love and language allow them to transcend their tragedy. Learn more …
Season One
Shakespeare’s Life, World and Works
Take a tour through Shakespeare’s historical era and learn how to start reading his works--and why they’ve captivated readers for centuries. Learn more…
The Wooden O and the Iron Throne: Game of Thrones & Shakespeare
Discover how George R.R. Martin and Game of Thrones were influenced by Shakespeare and learn how each author can make you a better reader of the other.
Hamlet
Encounter the world’s most famous tragedy, about the prince of Denmark and his quest for revenge. Learn more…
Macbeth
Meet two of literature’s most memorable--and surprisingly sympathetic--villains in the Scottish play, about the murder of a king. Learn more …
Othello
In this controversial play about a black military general, witness Shakespeare’s most direct confrontation with race and racism. Learn more …
As You Like It
Watch Shakespeare flip romantic and gender conventions in this beloved comedy. Learn more …
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Discover the dark side of love in dangerous and magical nighttime world where all relationships go awry. Learn more …
Julius Caesar
See how Shakespeare dramatizes one of history’s most famous events in this famously ambiguous play about ancient Rome. Learn more …
King Lear
In this story of an aged king giving up his crown, discover the astonishing poetic and philosophical beauty of Shakespeare’s most unrelenting tragedy. Learn more …
The Merchant of Venice
Watch as comedy threatens to become tragedy in this notorious play about a Jewish money-lender living in Christian Venice. Learn more …
Romeo & Juliet
Hear how Shakespeare discovers new heights of poetic inspiration as he writes what will become the world’s most iconic love story. Learn more …
Henry V
In this history play about a famous English victory over France, meet one of Shakespeare’s most heroic and most divisive protagonists. Learn more …
Twelfth Night
Join Shakespeare on an exploration of gender, identity, and love in the last and greatest of his romantic comedies. Learn more …
The Tempest
In one of his last plays, watch Shakespeare transform the questions and stories that have fascinated him throughout his career. Learn more …
Shakespeare’s Sonnets
Learn how Shakespeare’s sonnets became his most radical experimentation as a poet, as he used a short, conventional love poem to launch new explorations of desire. Learn more …