William Shakespeare books in order

All 49 books by William Shakespeare in order of publication (1508 to 2017) and where to start.

49 books1508 to 2017

Where to start

Sonnet 15 (1840)

Sonnet 15 is one of 154 sonnets written by the English playwright and poet William Shakespeare.

In order of publication

All William Shakespeare books

  1. Macbeth

    1508

    A soldier hears a prophecy, kills a king, and loses everything — including his mind.

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  2. Titus Andronicus

    1594

  3. King Richard II

    1597

  4. Richard III

    1597

  5. Romeo and Juliet

    1597

    Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers, deep-fried in Troma's gutter: incest, cow monsters, and a happy ending.

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  6. Henry IV, Part 1

    1598

  7. Passionate Pilgrim

    1599

  8. A Midsummer Night's Dream

    1600

    A fairy feud wrecks four weddings, one donkey head, and all of nature.

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  9. Henry IV, Part 2

    1600

  10. Henry V

    1600

  11. Henry VI, Part 2

    1600

  12. Henry VI, Part 3

    1600

  13. Much Ado About Nothing

    1600

    Two lovers fight their way to the altar while a villain's lie nearly kills a bride.

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  14. The Merchant of Venice

    1600

    A pound of flesh, three caskets, and the wittiest woman in Venice.

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  15. The Merry Wives of Windsor

    1602

  16. Hamlet

    1603

    A prince sees his father's ghost, feigns madness, and burns a court to ash.

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  17. King Lear

    1608

    A king trades his crown for flattery and learns what love costs.

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  18. Pericles

    1609

  19. Sonnets

    1609

  20. Troilus and Cressida

    1609

  21. The Tempest

    1611

    A storm, an island, a magician's revenge that ends in forgiveness.

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  22. Othello

    1622

    A handkerchief, a whisper, and the most patient villain in literature.

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  23. Plays (36)

    1623

  24. The Taming of the Shrew

    1631

  25. Two Gentlemen of Verona

    1632

  26. The Two Noble Kinsmen

    1634

  27. Julius Caesar

    1656

    The most famous assassination in history, told through the conscience of the killer.

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  28. Henry VIII

    1670

  29. King John

    1700

  30. Works [37 Plays, 6 Poems, Sonnets]

    1730

  31. All's Well That Ends Well

    1734

  32. Antony and Cleopatra

    1734

  33. As You Like It

    1734

  34. Coriolanus

    1734

  35. Cymbeline

    1734

  36. The Comedy of Errors

    1734

  37. Timon of Athens

    1734

  38. Twelfth Night, or What You Will

    1734

  39. Winter's Tale

    1735

  40. The Beauties of Shakspeare

    1752

  41. The Plays of William Shakespeare

    1765

    The Plays of William Shakespeare is an 18th-century edition of the dramatic works of William Shakespeare, edited by Samuel Johnson and George Steevens.

  42. Sonnet 120

    1840

    Sonnet 120 is one of 154 sonnets written by the English playwright and poet William Shakespeare.

  43. Sonnet 147

    1840

    Sonnet 147 is one of 154 sonnets written by English playwright and poet William Shakespeare.

  44. Sonnet 15

    1840Start here

    Sonnet 15 is one of 154 sonnets written by the English playwright and poet William Shakespeare.

  45. Sonnet 6

    1840

    Sonnet 6 is one of 154 sonnets written by the English playwright and poet William Shakespeare.

  46. King Edward III

    1886

  47. Romeo & Juliet

    1939

  48. The Klingon Hamlet

    2000

    The Klingon Hamlet, or The Tragedy of Khamlet, Son of the Emperor of Qo'noS, is a translation of William Shakespeare's Hamlet into Klingon, a constructed language first appearing in the science fiction franchise Star…

  49. Henry VI

    2017

    Henry VI is a trilogy of history plays by William Shakespeare, set during the lifetime of King Henry VI of England.

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions

How many books has William Shakespeare written?

This list covers 49 books by William Shakespeare, published from 1508 to 2017.

What are William Shakespeare's books in order?

William Shakespeare's books in publication order: 1. Macbeth (1508), 2. Titus Andronicus (1594), 3. King Richard II (1597), 4. Richard III (1597), 5. Romeo and Juliet (1597), 6. Henry IV, Part 1 (1598), 7. Passionate Pilgrim (1599), 8. A Midsummer Night's Dream (1600), 9. Henry IV, Part 2 (1600), 10. Henry V (1600), 11. Henry VI, Part 2 (1600), 12. Henry VI, Part 3 (1600), 13. Much Ado About Nothing (1600), 14. The Merchant of Venice (1600), 15. The Merry Wives of Windsor (1602), 16. Hamlet (1603), 17. King Lear (1608), 18. Pericles (1609), 19. Sonnets (1609), 20. Troilus and Cressida (1609), 21. The Tempest (1611), 22. Othello (1622), 23. Plays (36) (1623), 24. The Taming of the Shrew (1631), 25. Two Gentlemen of Verona (1632), 26. The Two Noble Kinsmen (1634), 27. Julius Caesar (1656), 28. Henry VIII (1670), 29. King John (1700), 30. Works [37 Plays, 6 Poems, Sonnets] (1730), 31. All's Well That Ends Well (1734), 32. Antony and Cleopatra (1734), 33. As You Like It (1734), 34. Coriolanus (1734), 35. Cymbeline (1734), 36. The Comedy of Errors (1734), 37. Timon of Athens (1734), 38. Twelfth Night, or What You Will (1734), 39. Winter's Tale (1735), 40. The Beauties of Shakspeare (1752), 41. The Plays of William Shakespeare (1765), 42. Sonnet 120 (1840), 43. Sonnet 147 (1840), 44. Sonnet 15 (1840), 45. Sonnet 6 (1840), 46. King Edward III (1886), 47. Romeo & Juliet (1939), 48. The Klingon Hamlet (2000), 49. Henry VI (2017).

What was William Shakespeare's first book?

Macbeth, published in 1508.

Which William Shakespeare book should I read first?

A good place to start is Sonnet 15 (1840).

What is William Shakespeare's latest book?

The most recent book on this list is Henry VI (2017).

William Shakespeare series

Books and publication years are checked against Wikidata and Open Library. Titles link to our summary when we have one.