William Shakespeare published 5 novels, 2 novellas, 1 non-fiction book, 2 poetry collections, 42 plays and 1 other book, beginning with Titus Andronicus (1594). The best-known is The Tragedy of King Lear (1608).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with William Shakespeare
Start here
The Tragedy of King Lear
William Shakespeare's most-read book.
Highest rated
The Klingon Hamlet
Rated 4.0 out of 5 by 176 readers.
Standalone novels in order
The First Part of King Henry Iv (1598)
Henry VI, Part III (1600)
will (1600)
The Plays of William Shakespeare (1765), with Samuel Johnson
An Art Edition of Shakespeare, Classified as Comedies, Tragedies, Histories and Sonnets, Each Part Arranged in Chronological Order, Including Also a List of Familiar Quotations (1889), with Mary Lamb and Charles Lamb
Novellas in order
Titus Andronicus (1594)
The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet (1599)
Non-fiction in order
The Klingon Hamlet (Feb 2000)
Poetry in order
The Passionate Pilgrim (1599)
The Sonnets of William Shakespeare (1609)
Plays in order
Locrine (Jul 1594), with Robert Greene and George Peele
Richard II (1595)
Edward III (1596), with Thomas Kyd
Richard III (1597)
The First Part of King Henry the Fourth (1597)
Henry IV, Part 2 (1598)
Love's Labour's Lost (1598)
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1600)
Much Ado About Nothing (1600)
The Life of Henry the Fifth (1600)
The Merchant of Venice (1600)
Hamlet (1602)
The Merry Wives of Windsor (1602)
The True Cronical Historie of The Whole Life and Death of Thomas Lord Cromwell (Aug 1602)
A Yorkshire Tragedy (1608), with Thomas Middleton
The Tragedy of King Lear (1608)
Pericles, Prince of Tyre (1609)
The Two Noble Kinsmen (1613), with John Fletcher
The Tragedy of Othello, The Moor of Venice (1622)
All's Well That Ends Well (1623)
Antony and Cleopatra (1623)
As You Like It (1623)
Cymbeline (1623)
Henry VI, Part 1 (1623)
Henry VIII (1623), with John Fletcher
Macbeth (1623)
Measure for Measure (1623)
The Family Shakespeare, in One Volume (1623)
The Life and Death of King John (1623)
The Second Part of King Henry the Sixth (1623)
The Taming of the Shrew (1623)
The Tempest (1623)
The Third Part of King Henry the Sixth (1623)
The Tragedy of Coriolanus (1623)
The Winter's Tale (1623)
Timon of Athens (1623)
The Tragedie of Ivlivs Ceasar (1684)
The Comedy of Errors (1734)
The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1734)
Romeo and Juliet (1995)
Henry VI (2012)
Other books in order
Lucrece (1616)
Film and TV adaptations
- Chimes at Midnight (1965)Film · from Richard II
- The Hollow Crown (2012)TV · from Richard II
- Richard II (2012)TV · from Richard II
- Richard III (1955)Film · from Richard III
- Richard III (1995)Film · from Richard III
- Looking for Richard (1996)Film · from Richard III
- The Hollow Crown (2012)TV · from Richard III
- Chimes at Midnight (1965)Film · from The First Part of King Henry the Fourth
- My Own Private Idaho (1991)Film · from The First Part of King Henry the Fourth
- The Hollow Crown (2012)TV · from The First Part of King Henry the Fourth
- The King (2019)Film · from The First Part of King Henry the Fourth
- Chimes at Midnight (1965)Film · from Henry IV, Part 2
- My Own Private Idaho (1991)Film · from Henry IV, Part 2
- The Hollow Crown (2012)TV · from Henry IV, Part 2
- The King (2019)Film · from Henry IV, Part 2
- Love's Labour's Lost (2000)Film · from Love's Labour's Lost
- A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935)Film · from A Midsummer Night's Dream
- A Midsummer Night's Dream (1959)Film · from A Midsummer Night's Dream
- Shakespeare: The Animated Tales (1992)TV · from A Midsummer Night's Dream
- A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999)Film · from A Midsummer Night's Dream
- Much Ado About Nothing (1973)Film · from Much Ado About Nothing
- Much Ado About Nothing (1993)Film · from Much Ado About Nothing
- Much Ado About Nothing (2012)Film · from Much Ado About Nothing
- Anyone but You (2023)Film · from Much Ado About Nothing
- Henry V (1944)Film · from The Life of Henry the Fifth
- Henry V (1989)Film · from The Life of Henry the Fifth
- My Own Private Idaho (1991)Film · from The Life of Henry the Fifth
- The King (2019)Film · from The Life of Henry the Fifth
- The Merchant of Venice (1916)Film · from The Merchant of Venice
- Dil Farosh (1927)Film · from The Merchant of Venice
- The Merchant of Venice (2004)Film · from The Merchant of Venice
- Hamlet (1948)Film · from Hamlet
- Hamlet (1964)Film · from Hamlet
- Hamlet (1990)Film · from Hamlet
- Hamlet (1996)Film · from Hamlet
- King Lear (1910)Film · from The Tragedy of King Lear
- King Lear (1970)Film · from The Tragedy of King Lear
- Ran (1985)Film · from The Tragedy of King Lear
- King Lear (1987)Film · from The Tragedy of King Lear
- Othello (1951)Film · from The Tragedy of Othello, The Moor of Venice
- Othello (1956)Film · from The Tragedy of Othello, The Moor of Venice
- Othello (1995)Film · from The Tragedy of Othello, The Moor of Venice
- Omkara (2006)Film · from The Tragedy of Othello, The Moor of Venice
- Antony and Cleopatra (1908)Film · from Antony and Cleopatra
- Antony and Cleopatra (1913)Film · from Antony and Cleopatra
- Antony and Cleopatra (1972)Film · from Antony and Cleopatra
- The Seven Ages (1905)Film · from As You Like It
- Shakespeare: The Animated Tales (1992)TV · from As You Like It
- As You Like It (2006)Film · from As You Like It
- Cymbeline (2014)Film · from Cymbeline
- The Hollow Crown (2012)TV · from Henry VI, Part 1
- Macbeth (1948)Film · from Macbeth
- Throne of Blood (1957)Film · from Macbeth
- Macbeth (2015)Film · from Macbeth
- The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021)Film · from Macbeth
- King John (1899)Film · from The Life and Death of King John
- The Hollow Crown (2012)TV · from The Second Part of King Henry the Sixth
- The Taming of the Shrew (1908)Film · from The Taming of the Shrew
- The Taming of the Shrew (1929)Film · from The Taming of the Shrew
- The Taming of the Shrew (1967)Film · from The Taming of the Shrew
- 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)Film · from The Taming of the Shrew
- Forbidden Planet (1956)Film · from The Tempest
- Voyage to Melonia (1989)Film · from The Tempest
- Prospero's Books (1991)Film · from The Tempest
- The Tempest (2010)Film · from The Tempest
- The Hollow Crown (2012)TV · from The Third Part of King Henry the Sixth
- Coriolanus (2011)Film · from The Tragedy of Coriolanus
- Shakespeare: The Animated Tales (1992)TV · from The Winter's Tale
- Twelfth Night (1910)Film · from Twelfth Night, or What You Will
- Twelfth Night (1955)Film · from Twelfth Night, or What You Will
- Twelfth Night (1996)Film · from Twelfth Night, or What You Will
- She's the Man (2006)Film · from Twelfth Night, or What You Will
- Julius Caesar (1908)Film · from The Tragedie of Ivlivs Ceasar
- Shakespeare: The Animated Tales (1992)TV · from The Tragedie of Ivlivs Ceasar
- Caesar Must Die (2012)Film · from The Tragedie of Ivlivs Ceasar
- Romeo and Juliet (1968)Film · from Romeo and Juliet
- Romeo + Juliet (1996)Film · from Romeo and Juliet
- The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998)Film · from Romeo and Juliet
- Gnomeo & Juliet (2011)Film · from Romeo and Juliet
Free to read
All free classicsThe Complete Works of William Shakespeare
Shakespeare's Sonnets
The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 8 of 9]
The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 3 of 9]
The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 7 of 9]
The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 4 of 9]
King Lear
Julius Caesar
The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 6 of 9]
The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 2 of 9]
Othello
Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare
The New Hudson Shakespeare
King Richard III
![Cover of The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 8 of 9]](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/49008/pg49008.cover.medium.jpg)
![Cover of The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 3 of 9]](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/50559/pg50559.cover.medium.jpg)
![Cover of The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 7 of 9]](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/47715/pg47715.cover.medium.jpg)
![Cover of The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 4 of 9]](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/50095/pg50095.cover.medium.jpg)
![Cover of The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 6 of 9]](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/49007/pg49007.cover.medium.jpg)
![Cover of The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 2 of 9]](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/45128/pg45128.cover.medium.jpg)
About William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" or simply "the Bard". His extant works, including collaborations, consist of some 39 plays, 154 sonnets, 3 long narrative poems and a few other verses, some of uncertain authorship. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. Shakespeare remains arguably the most influential writer in the English language, and his works continue to be studied and reinterpreted.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
William Shakespeare FAQ
- How many books has William Shakespeare written?
- William Shakespeare published 5 novels, 2 novellas, 1 non-fiction book, 2 poetry collections, 42 plays and 1 other book that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read William Shakespeare's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with The Tragedy of King Lear.
- What is William Shakespeare's last book?
- will (1600).
- What is William Shakespeare's most famous book?
- The Tragedy of King Lear (1608) is William Shakespeare's most widely read book.
- Which William Shakespeare books have been adapted?
- 27 books have been adapted for film or TV, including Richard II (as Chimes at Midnight, film, 1965), Richard III (film, 1955), The First Part of King Henry the Fourth (as Chimes at Midnight, film, 1965) and Henry IV, Part 2 (as Chimes at Midnight, film, 1965).
- Can I read William Shakespeare's books for free?
- Yes. 30 books by William Shakespeare are in the public domain in the US and free to read online or download here.
Authors like William Shakespeare
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers, free texts from Project Gutenberg. Last updated September 2026.