Julius Caesar : Treason never prospers Conspirators, some high-minded like Brutus, others not, plot the assassination of the dictator Julius Caesar to save the Roman republic from tyranny. Henry VIII : A royal marriage with three people in it Shakespeare and John Fletcher collaborated on this retelling of the royal love triangle of Henry VIII, Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn and the machinations of Cardinal Wolsey. The Globe Theatre in Southwark burnt down during its first run, which may partly account for its lack of critical success. Part One was written after the other two - possibly the first example of a prequel. His invasion of France leads to overwhelming triumph at the battle of Agincourt, not least because of the stirring quality of his speeches to his troops. Like Hamlet, its many famous lines are fodder for the quiz compilers.
Henry VI, Parts 1,2 & 3: The Godfather, with swords Shakespeare took as his source material the Chronicles of the 16th-century historian Raphael Holinshed and produced a narrative of the Wars of the Roses, the bloody battle for the throne between the Yorkists and Lancastrians. But Hal shapes up in battle, kills Hotspur and, on his father's death, ascends the throne and abandons his former friends. Henry V: "Cry God, for Harry, England and St George" The former wastrel Prince Hal has now become a shrewd and courageous monarch. Henry IV, Parts 1 & 2: Bad apple redeems himself Henry IV is threatened by Harry Hotspur, but his son Prince Hal seems more interested in boozing and hanging out with his lowlife chums, most notably that fat reprobate Sir John Falstaff. Coriolanus : My heart belongs to Mummy The brilliant Roman general Coriolanus may be a military genius but he doesn't really have the common touch.
Banished because of his patrician opinions, he leads an assault on his native city. Only the pleadings of his mother Volumnia stop him from sacking Rome, but this change of heart leads to his destruction. Cymbeline: Walking with cavemen The plot of this late comedy set in Ancient Britain is so convoluted - with disguises, false identities, faked deaths and so on - it has been suggested it was a private joke by Shakespeare. At the finale almost the entire cast appears, some from the cave where they've been hiding for most of the play, to add a piece to the puzzle's resolution. Hamlet: Make-your-mind-up time The prince of Denmark tries to summon the will to kill his father's murderer. The most famous play on the planet, with so many lines and phrases that have become proverbial that it comes as a shock to see it and realise where they come from: "Alas, poor Yorick", "To be or not to be ", "The rest is silence", "the play's the thing" To name a few.
