what type of plays did shakespeare write

June 28, 2026

Shakespeare wrote three main types of plays: comedies, tragedies, and histories , with some later critics also adding “romances,” “problem plays,” and “tragicomedy” as extra labels.

Main Types (Quick Scoop)

Comedies – Light‑toned stories that usually end happily in marriages or reconciliations, like A Midsummer Night’s Dream and As You Like It.

Tragedies – Serious plays where a great character falls through a fatal flaw or bad choices, like Hamlet , Macbeth , Othello , and King Lear.

Histories – Plays about English kings and political struggles, such as Henry IV , Henry V , Richard II , and Richard III.

Extra Categories Critics Use

Over time, scholars and theatre companies noticed that some plays do not fit neatly into those three boxes.

Romances / Late plays – Mix of magic, loss, and reunion, often with a bittersweet tone, like The Tempest , The Winter’s Tale , and Cymbeline.

Problem plays – Awkward to classify because of their dark themes and mixed moods, such as Measure for Measure , All’s Well That Ends Well , and Troilus and Cressida.

Tragicomedies – Plays that blend serious danger with ultimately happy or at least non‑tragic endings, often overlapping with the romances.

Simple Table of Types

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Type	Typical Feel	Example Plays
Comedies	Humorous, end in marriage or harmony.	A Midsummer Night’s Dream, As You Like It, Twelfth Night
Tragedies	Serious, end in death or disaster.	Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, King Lear
Histories	Based on real English kings and politics.	Henry V, Richard II, Richard III, Henry IV
Romances / Late plays	Mix of tragedy and happy resolution; often magical.	The Tempest, The Winter’s Tale, Cymbeline, Pericles
Problem plays	Morally complex, tonally mixed.	Measure for Measure, All’s Well That Ends Well, Troilus and Cressida

**TL;DR:** When people ask “what type of plays did Shakespeare write,” the classic answer is comedies, tragedies, and histories—but modern discussions often add romances and problem plays for the in‑between works.

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