Lightning guide to the tragedies
If the comedies end in church, tragedies end in the churchyard. Spoiler alert - the protagonist/eponymous hero dies. All the tragedies are named for the anti/hero.
Titus Andronicus - 1592. First known performance Jan 1594 at The Rose for Sussex's men.
Usually considered to be a collaborative play with George Peele (and Vickers makes a very good case for this).
No-one ever does this in school.
Romeo and Juliet - 1595. For The Lord Chamberlain's Men at The Rose as the company did not have access to The Theatre.1596.
Boy meets girl. Boy and girl fall in love. Boy and girl are separated by a series of unfortunate events and the attitudes of their families. They get married anyway and die at the end by mistake. The two families make up.
Adaptations: West Side Story - 1957. Film - 1961 (Bit of trivia: George Chakiris who played Bernardo was paid $100 a week.)
There are lots more adaptations - too many to list.
Best film version: Zeffirelli - 1968
Globe version I actually walked out of this production. .
Hamlet - 1600. For The Lord Chamberlain's men at The Globe.
A ghost tells a young man that he was murdered by his brother. The brother has married the widow with indecent haste. Young man spends 5 acts trying to make up his mind to take revenge on his uncle/father and manages to cause several other deaths in the meantime.
At the end of the play, almost everyone dies.
Best adaptation: Rozencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (Stoppard)
Best film: more than 50 to choose from. I like the Zeffirelli version (1990) with Mel Gibson.
Available on Globe Player
Julius Caesar - 1599. For The Lord Chamberlain's Men, either at The Curtain or The Globe. (The Globe opened in July, 1599.)
Like all the tragedies it is named for the hero. Unlike the tragedies, said hero dies in Act I.
The play then follows the fortunes of Brutus who delivered the final and fatal blow eliciting the famous line 'Et tu, Brute?'
Spoiler - Brutus commits suicide in Act V eliciting the other famous line from Mark Antony 'This was the noblest Roman of them all' which says more about Mark Antony than it does about Brutus who truly was 'an honorable man.'
Best adaptation: Heil Caesar (BBC 1973)
Best film: 1953 with Brando as Caesar. Plenty of others worth watching, though.
Available on Globe Player
Troilus and Cressida - 1602. For The Lord Chamberlain's Men at The Globe.
No-one ever does this in school.
Othello -1604. For The King's Men at The Globe.
Unique in having a sympathetic black leading character. Partially set in Venice, it has the theme of alienation in common with 'The Merchant of Venice'.
Immigrant heroic Venetian general marries native Venetian girl, is sent to Cyprus to quell a Turkish/Moslem invasion accompanied by his wife and his lieutenant who is resentful of Othello's promotion and plots to ruin him. (Note to stage managers - don't mislay the handkerchief.) Iago persuades Othello that his young wife is unfaithful. Othello kills her and commits suicide.
Trivia: Iago means 'supplanter' or 'Moor killer'
Best adaptation: 'O' - not entirely suitable for children
Best film version:Willard White 1990
Available on Globe Player
King Lear - 1605. For The King's Men at The Globe.
Possibly Shakespeare's greatest play (pace lovers of 'Hamlet') and certainly the part to which older actors aspire.
Aging king abdicates in favour of his daughters, making the mistake of believing flattery. Exiles the daughter who actually loves him. Remaining daughters then treat him badly and he ends up homeless and mad in a storm.
Villain is Edmund, who is not entirely unsympathetic and has traits in common with Richard III - including ruthlessness and charm. Edmund arranges for the arrest of Lear and the daughter who has come to rescue him, has said daughter executed and Lear dies of a broken heart.
A very, very complex play in which every character is rounded and in some way engaging.
Best adaptation: Ran
Best film version: Brian Blessed 1999
Globe player
Timon of Athens - 1605/6. For The King's men at The Globe. Possibly in collaboration with Middleton: again Vickers makes a good case for this.
Again - never studied in school.
Macbeth - 1606. For The King's Men at Hampton Court (probably). There is evidence that Middleton revised the play at a later date, but scholars are still hotly debating this.
Follows the downfall of brave, loyal soldier to murderous, regicidal traitor in collaboration with his wife and under the influence of 3 'wayward sisters'.
Shakespeare's shortest tragedy with 2162 lines (depending on the edition). The character, Hamlet, has 1569 lines - again depending on the edition.
Yes, of course he dies.
Best adaptation: Throne of Blood (The link is to Amazon Prime - also available on You Tube)
Best film: Sean Pertwee for C4 - 1999 (You Tube link) There are lots of others.
Globe player
Antony and Cleopatra - 1606. For The King's Men at The Globe in 1607.
Sequel to 'Julius Caesar' - same Marc Antony.
Antony is now one of the rulers of Rome, but spends his time in Egypt with his lover, Queen Cleopatra.
Antony is recalled to Rome following his wife's death and remarries. Cleopatra is not happy, but Antony quickly returns, leaving his new wife behind (it's a political union). A sort of civil wars breaks out between Antony and Rome, which Antony loses. In an echo of 'Romeo and Juliet', Antony wrongly thinks Cleopatra is dead and tries to kill himself - unsuccessfully. He is reunited with the still living Cleopatra, but dies in her arms. When Cleopatra is threatened with capture, she also kills herself.
Look - it's a tragedy.
Best adaptation: I don't know of any
Best film: No recommendations but this looks promising.
Globe player.
Titus Andronicus - 1592. First known performance Jan 1594 at The Rose for Sussex's men.
Usually considered to be a collaborative play with George Peele (and Vickers makes a very good case for this).
No-one ever does this in school.
Romeo and Juliet - 1595. For The Lord Chamberlain's Men at The Rose as the company did not have access to The Theatre.1596.
Boy meets girl. Boy and girl fall in love. Boy and girl are separated by a series of unfortunate events and the attitudes of their families. They get married anyway and die at the end by mistake. The two families make up.
Adaptations: West Side Story - 1957. Film - 1961 (Bit of trivia: George Chakiris who played Bernardo was paid $100 a week.)
There are lots more adaptations - too many to list.
Best film version: Zeffirelli - 1968
Globe version I actually walked out of this production. .
Hamlet - 1600. For The Lord Chamberlain's men at The Globe.
A ghost tells a young man that he was murdered by his brother. The brother has married the widow with indecent haste. Young man spends 5 acts trying to make up his mind to take revenge on his uncle/father and manages to cause several other deaths in the meantime.
At the end of the play, almost everyone dies.
Best adaptation: Rozencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (Stoppard)
Best film: more than 50 to choose from. I like the Zeffirelli version (1990) with Mel Gibson.
Available on Globe Player
Julius Caesar - 1599. For The Lord Chamberlain's Men, either at The Curtain or The Globe. (The Globe opened in July, 1599.)
Like all the tragedies it is named for the hero. Unlike the tragedies, said hero dies in Act I.
The play then follows the fortunes of Brutus who delivered the final and fatal blow eliciting the famous line 'Et tu, Brute?'
Spoiler - Brutus commits suicide in Act V eliciting the other famous line from Mark Antony 'This was the noblest Roman of them all' which says more about Mark Antony than it does about Brutus who truly was 'an honorable man.'
Best adaptation: Heil Caesar (BBC 1973)
Best film: 1953 with Brando as Caesar. Plenty of others worth watching, though.
Available on Globe Player
Troilus and Cressida - 1602. For The Lord Chamberlain's Men at The Globe.
No-one ever does this in school.
Othello -1604. For The King's Men at The Globe.
Unique in having a sympathetic black leading character. Partially set in Venice, it has the theme of alienation in common with 'The Merchant of Venice'.
Immigrant heroic Venetian general marries native Venetian girl, is sent to Cyprus to quell a Turkish/Moslem invasion accompanied by his wife and his lieutenant who is resentful of Othello's promotion and plots to ruin him. (Note to stage managers - don't mislay the handkerchief.) Iago persuades Othello that his young wife is unfaithful. Othello kills her and commits suicide.
Trivia: Iago means 'supplanter' or 'Moor killer'
Best adaptation: 'O' - not entirely suitable for children
Best film version:Willard White 1990
Available on Globe Player
King Lear - 1605. For The King's Men at The Globe.
Possibly Shakespeare's greatest play (pace lovers of 'Hamlet') and certainly the part to which older actors aspire.
Aging king abdicates in favour of his daughters, making the mistake of believing flattery. Exiles the daughter who actually loves him. Remaining daughters then treat him badly and he ends up homeless and mad in a storm.
Villain is Edmund, who is not entirely unsympathetic and has traits in common with Richard III - including ruthlessness and charm. Edmund arranges for the arrest of Lear and the daughter who has come to rescue him, has said daughter executed and Lear dies of a broken heart.
A very, very complex play in which every character is rounded and in some way engaging.
Best adaptation: Ran
Best film version: Brian Blessed 1999
Globe player
Timon of Athens - 1605/6. For The King's men at The Globe. Possibly in collaboration with Middleton: again Vickers makes a good case for this.
Again - never studied in school.
Macbeth - 1606. For The King's Men at Hampton Court (probably). There is evidence that Middleton revised the play at a later date, but scholars are still hotly debating this.
Follows the downfall of brave, loyal soldier to murderous, regicidal traitor in collaboration with his wife and under the influence of 3 'wayward sisters'.
Shakespeare's shortest tragedy with 2162 lines (depending on the edition). The character, Hamlet, has 1569 lines - again depending on the edition.
Yes, of course he dies.
Best adaptation: Throne of Blood (The link is to Amazon Prime - also available on You Tube)
Best film: Sean Pertwee for C4 - 1999 (You Tube link) There are lots of others.
Globe player
Antony and Cleopatra - 1606. For The King's Men at The Globe in 1607.
Sequel to 'Julius Caesar' - same Marc Antony.
Antony is now one of the rulers of Rome, but spends his time in Egypt with his lover, Queen Cleopatra.
Antony is recalled to Rome following his wife's death and remarries. Cleopatra is not happy, but Antony quickly returns, leaving his new wife behind (it's a political union). A sort of civil wars breaks out between Antony and Rome, which Antony loses. In an echo of 'Romeo and Juliet', Antony wrongly thinks Cleopatra is dead and tries to kill himself - unsuccessfully. He is reunited with the still living Cleopatra, but dies in her arms. When Cleopatra is threatened with capture, she also kills herself.
Look - it's a tragedy.
Best adaptation: I don't know of any
Best film: No recommendations but this looks promising.
Globe player.
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