Shakespeare’s Creative Periods

Across a 22-year career (from 1591 to 1613), Shakespeare wrote 37 plays totaling 108,093 lines. Modern scholarship divides this output into three creative periods — Early, Middle, and Late — based on compose-date estimates from Open Source Shakespeare.

Early · 1591–1595

30,643 lines · avg 2,786

Middle · 1596–1603

40,351 lines · avg 2,882

Late · 1604–1613

37,099 lines · avg 3,092

Career Timeline, Play by Play

Year	Play	Genre	Period	Lines
Early Period · Shakespeare’s early years
c. 1591	Henry VI, part 2	History	Early	3,122
c. 1591	Henry VI, part 3	History	Early	2,931
c. 1591	Two Gentlemen of Verona	Comedy	Early	2,234
c. 1592	Henry VI, part 1	History	Early	2,761
c. 1592	Taming of the Shrew	Comedy	Early	2,637
c. 1593	Richard III	History	Early	3,702
c. 1594	The Comedy of Errors	Comedy	Early	1,962
c. 1594	Titus Andronicus	Tragedy	Early	2,553
c. 1595	Love's Labours Lost	Comedy	Early	2,862
c. 1595	Richard II	History	Early	2,800
c. 1595	Romeo and Juliet	Tragedy	Early	3,079
Middle Period · Shakespeare’s middle years
c. 1596	A Midsummer Night's Dream	Comedy	Middle	2,159
c. 1596	King John	History	Middle	2,648
c. 1597	Henry IV, part 1	History	Middle	3,038
c. 1597	The Merchant of Venice	Comedy	Middle	2,665
c. 1598	Henry IV, part 2	History	Middle	3,251
c. 1599	As You Like It	Comedy	Middle	2,676
c. 1599	Henry V	History	Middle	3,230
c. 1599	Julius Caesar	Tragedy	Middle	2,599
c. 1599	Much Ado About Nothing	Comedy	Middle	2,583
c. 1600	Hamlet	Tragedy	Middle	4,023
c. 1601	The Merry Wives of Windsor	Comedy	Middle	2,615
c. 1601	Twelfth Night	Comedy	Middle	2,483
c. 1602	Troilus and Cressida	Problem play	Middle	3,456
c. 1603	All's Well That Ends Well	Problem play	Middle	2,925
Late Period · Shakespeare’s late years
c. 1604	Measure for Measure	Problem play	Late	2,833
c. 1604	Othello	Tragedy	Late	3,558
c. 1605	King Lear	Tragedy	Late	3,499
c. 1606	Antony and Cleopatra	Tragedy	Late	3,565
c. 1606	Macbeth	Tragedy	Late	2,385
c. 1607	Timon of Athens	Tragedy	Late	2,451
c. 1608	Coriolanus	Tragedy	Late	3,761
c. 1608	Pericles, Prince of Tyre	Romance	Late	2,416
c. 1610	Cymbeline	Romance	Late	3,755
c. 1611	The Tempest	Romance	Late	2,278
c. 1611	Winter's Tale	Romance	Late	3,362
c. 1613	Henry VIII	History	Late	3,236

How Each Period Reads

Early (1591–1595 · 11 plays)

The early years are Shakespeare’s apprenticeship — early comedies and the first history tetralogy. Shorter plays, formal verse, tighter emotional range. Opening examples: Henry VI, part 2, Henry VI, part 3, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Henry VI, part 1. The longest play of the period is Richard III (3,702 lines); the shortest is The Comedy of Errors (1,962 lines). See the full early archive →

Middle (1596–1603 · 14 plays)

The middle years are Shakespeare’s peak comedies and the transition into the great tragedies. Longer plays, looser verse, deeper characterization. Opening examples: A Midsummer Night's Dream, King John, Henry IV, part 1, The Merchant of Venice. The longest play of the period is Hamlet (4,023 lines); the shortest is A Midsummer Night's Dream (2,159 lines). See the full middle archive →

Late (1604–1613 · 12 plays)

The late years are Shakespeare’s the major tragedies and the final romances. Complex structure, reflective themes, pastoral endings. Opening examples: Measure for Measure, Othello, King Lear, Antony and Cleopatra. The longest play of the period is Coriolanus (3,761 lines); the shortest is The Tempest (2,278 lines). See the full late archive →

Frequently Asked

How long was Shakespeare’s writing career?

About 22 years, from 1591 to 1613. His 37 plays in that span total 108,093 lines of dialogue.

What period is Hamlet in?

Hamlet belongs to the middle period — written around 1600, it sits at the transition from the mature comedies to the great tragedies.

Which period produced the most dialogue?

The middle period — with 40,351 lines across 14 plays (average 2,882 lines per play).

How accurate are the compose years?

They are scholarly estimates, inferred from performance records, stationers’ registers, and topical references. Where sources give a range, we use the midpoint. Year bucketing (Early/Middle/Late) uses the cutoffs 1595 and 1603.