Books in Order: Comprehensive Listing of William Shakespeare's Works




Books in Order: A Detailed Look into Shakespeare’s Life and Unique Writing Style

Renowned as arguably the greatest writer in the English language, William Shakespeare (1564-1616) penned captivating plays and enchanting poetry that still captivate audiences and readers around the globe. This Stratford-Upon-Avon native married Anne Hathaway, raising three children together (with two being twins!). His brilliance in the literary world was undisputed during his lifetime. However, his legend status wasn’t truly cemented until the 19th century. Today, his classic works continue to be studied in-depth, performed dramatically, and reinterpreted in numerous ways by various artists.

Shakespeare’s Initial Endeavors: Ordering His Books in Order

Shakespeare’s first recognized work, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, dates back to 1589 and didn’t reach publication until 1623. This was after he had already written Love’s Labour’s Won, a play lost in the annals of history, but believed to predate 1589. Shakespeare’s extensive body of work can be broken down into categories: Comedies, Poems, Histories, Tragedies, and Apocrypha.

Books in Order: An Examination of William Shakespeare’s Officially Recorded Plays

For those interested in exploring Shakespeare’s books in order, the following provides a structured list of his plays organized by their first official record:

Publication Order of Comedy Plays

The Tempest (1593) 📚 Buy on Amazon
The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1594) 📚 Buy on Amazon
The Merry Wives of Windsor (1594) 📚 Buy on Amazon
Measure for Measure (1594) 📚 Buy on Amazon
The Comedy of Errors (1594) 📚 Buy on Amazon
Much Ado About Nothing (1595) 📚 Buy on Amazon
Love’s Labour’s Lost (1595) 📚 Buy on Amazon
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1595) 📚 Buy on Amazon
The Merchant of Venice (1596) 📚 Buy on Amazon
As You Like It (1599) 📚 Buy on Amazon
The Taming of the Shrew (1599) 📚 Buy on Amazon
All’s Well That Ends Well (1604) 📚 Buy on Amazon
Twelfth Night (1605) 📚 Buy on Amazon
The Winter’s Tale (1605) 📚 Buy on Amazon
Pericles (1606) 📚 Buy on Amazon
The Two Noble Kinsmen (1634) 📚 Buy on Amazon
Order of plays is based on the First Folio.