‘Brevity is the soul of wit’. Shakespeare wrote that in Hamlet, but he did not stick by it! William Shakespeare wrote around 38 plays, some by himself and others in collaboration with other playwrights. Although, the exact amount it argued over. Some believe it to be 37, while others argue it to be 40.
So, you might be wondering, ‘what are all the plays called?’. Well, don’t worry; here, you’ll find all the Shakespeare plays in alphabetical order.
Shakespeare Plays in Alphabetical Order
- All’s Well That Ends Well
- Anthony and Cleopatra
- As You Like It
- The Comedy of Errors
- Coriolanus
- Cymbeline
- Hamlet
- Henry IV, Part I
- Henry IV, Part II
- Henry V
- Henry VI, Part I
- Henry VI, Part II
- Henry VI, Part III
- Henry VIII
- Julius Caesar
- King John
- King Lear
- Love’s labour’s Lost
- Macbeth
- Measure for Measure
- The Merchant of Venice
- The Merry Wives of Windsor
- Midsummer Night’s Dream
- Much Ado About Nothing
- Othello
- Pericles
- Richard II
- Richard III
- Romeo and Juliet
- The Taming of the Shrew
- The Tempest
- Timon of Athens
- Titus Andronicus
- Troilus and Cressida
- Twelfth Night
- The Two Gentleman of Verona
- The Two Noble Kinsmen
- The Winter’s Tale
How many Shakespeare play adaptations have there been?
Shakespeare’s plays have been adapted many times, and in many different ways! From ballets to mime, there are always new ways to adapt and interpret Shakespeare. But when films became a popular format, that’s when adaptations really took flight!
In 2013, a man named Stephen created a blog post charting how many films had been released that were inspired by or were straight adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays. You can find all his research and blog here.
He found that, since 1898, there have been 525 films created that credit Shakespeare in some way. And seeing as his research took place in 2013, we are pretty certain that that number will be much higher now!
Included in his research are straight adaptations, like Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 Romeo + Juliet, as well as more liberal interpretations like She’s the Man, which is inspired by Twelfth Night.
Which play has been adapted into film the most?
The most adapted Shakespeare play is Hamlet! By 2016, Hamlet had been adapted 79 times.
Just behind Hamlet is Romeo and Juliet, with 52 adaptations by 2016.
Are you studying a Shakespeare play?
Chances are, you’re studying a Shakespeare play for an English exam. The language used in the plays can sometimes be a challenge to fully understand, and there’s a lot to get through!
But luckily, we’ve got you covered. We’ve got revision guides, resources, and even English revision tools. Check out some of our favourite resources below.
Shakespeare Social and Historical Context Pack – Get confident with the conventions of Shakespeare’s time with this context pack. Context informs everything, so make sure you know what you’re on about!
Macbeth Plot Flashcards – Making your own flashcards can be tough, so we’ve made some for you. Check out these detailed plot cards to help you with your Macbeth revision.
Much Ado About Nothing Knowledge Organiser – Knowledge organisers like this one are great when there’s a lot to get through. Our organisers include theme breakdowns, quotes, and key events.
The Tempest Assessment Pack – We’re sorry to say, but practice assessment questions are actually really useful! They might be a pain, but they help you know where you’re at with your understanding of the text. Our assessment packs include mark schemes so you can mark your work.
Of course, you can find even more Shakespeare revision support here! Why not try your hand at our Macbeth Character Quiz? You might also like this Shakespeare biography.
You can carry on with exam practice and essential revision support with more of our blogs here! You can also subscribe to Beyond for access to thousands of secondary teaching resources. You can sign up for a free account here and take a look around at our free resources before you subscribe too.