Chronology of Shakespeare's plays

This article presents a possible chronological listing of the plays of William Shakespeare.

Difficulty of creating a precise chronology
Shakespearean scholars, beginning with Edmond Malone in 1790, have attempted to reconstruct the plays' relative chronology by various means, including contemporary allusions and records of performance, entries in the Stationers' Register, dates of publication, visceral impressions and studies of the development of the playwright's style and diction over time.

However, despite several hundred years of scholarship, there is no such thing as a precise or definitive chronology of Shakespeare's plays, as with the currently available evidence, it is impossible to determine exactly when many of them were written. This is especially pronounced in relation to the earlier plays. No authoritative chronological record survives from his lifetime, and dates of performance are often of limited use, as oftentimes it is impossible to determine if a given performance is the first performance. Dates of first publication are also relatively useless in determining a chronology, as about half of the plays were not published until the First Folio in 1623 (seven years after Shakespeare's death). Performance dates and publication dates are also problematic insofar as many of the plays were performed several years before they were published (for example, Titus Andronicus was performed in 1592, but not published until 1594; Henry VI, Part 3 was performed in 1592 but not published until 1595).

Another problem with publication dates is that many of the plays published prior to 1623 were pirated, unauthorised versions. These 'bad quartos' are often hypothesised to be memorially reconstructed from performances and then sold as if they were the actual play. In many cases however, scholars are unsure of the exact relationship between the play as it appeared in the 1623 First Folio and the original publication. The Taming of the Shrew is a good example; scholars continue to debate whether the 1594 quarto play A Pleasant Conceited Historie called the taming of a Shrew is an early draft of the 1623 play (from which it differs in many details – including character names), a bad quarto (i.e. a reported text), a source, an adaptation or simply another play based on a story now lost upon which Shakespeare also based his own play. Similarly, scholars continue to debate whether the 1594 quarto play The First Part of the Contention betwixt the two famous Houses of Yorke and Lancaster is an early draft of Henry VI, Part 2, a reconstruction from a performance, or both (a reconstruction of a performance of an early draft). The same ambiguity exists in relation to the 1595 octavo play The true Tragedie of Richard Duke of Yorke and Henry VI, Part 3.

Added to this, a number of orthodox scholars, as well as many anti-Stratfordian researchers (so called because they argue that someone other than William Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon was the author of what is generally known as the Shakespearean canon), disagree with the conventional dating system entirely. E.A.J. Honigmann for example, although not an anti-Stratfordian, does dissent from the more common dating of the plays. In 1982, he developed what he refers to as the 'early start theory'. Most 20th century chronologies tend to be based on the work of E.K. Chambers in 1930, which posits that Shakespeare only began composing plays when he arrived in London sometime between 1588 and 1591. Honigmann, however, suggests he began writing plays sooner, and believes the chronology begins with Titus Andronicus, which he estimates was written in 1586, and continues with The Two Gentlemen of Verona, which he places in 1587. Honigmann's theory does have the value of explaining how Shakespeare was able to write so many plays in such a short period of time upon arriving in London (at least six in the first two or three years), however, the majority of critics reject it.

As with the early start theory, the majority of scholars likewise reject the Oxfordian theory, which argues that Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford wrote the plays. Dean Keith Simonton, a researcher into the factors of musical and literary creativity, especially Shakespeare's, has conducted several studies into Shakespeare's chronology, concluding "beyond a shadow of a doubt" that the traditional play chronology is roughly in the correct order, and that Shakespeare's works exhibit logical stylistic development over the course of his career, just as is found for other artistic geniuses. Simonton also conducted a study into the correlation between the thematic content of Shakespeare’s plays and the political context in which they would have been written according to both traditional and Oxfordian datings. When lagged two years, the Stratfordian chronologies yielded substantially meaningful associations between thematic and political context, while the Oxfordian chronologies yielded no relationships, no matter how they were lagged. Simonton, who had declared his Oxfordian sympathies, had expected the results to support Oxford's authorship, and was surprised when they did not, concluding that "that expectation was proven wrong" and that the results supported what has become the traditional chronology and dating.

Chronology
There are five main scholarly editions of the Complete Works of Shakespeare: The Riverside Shakespeare (G. Blakemore Evans, 1974; 2nd edn., 1996), The Oxford Shakespeare: The Complete Works (Stanley Wells, Gary Taylor, John Jowett and William Montgomery, 1986; 2nd edn., 2005), The Norton Shakespeare: Based on the Oxford Edition (Stephen Greenblatt, Walter Cohen, Jean E. Howard and Katharine Eisaman Haus, 1997; 2nd edn., 2008), The Arden Shakespeare: Complete Works (Richard Proudfoot, Ann Thompson and David Scott Kastan, 1998; 2nd edn. 2002) and The RSC Shakespeare: William Shakespeare, Complete Works (Jonathan Bate and Eric Rasmussen, 2007).

Arden presents the plays alphabetically without any attempt to construct an overall chronology. Oxford, Riverside, Norton and RSC all present chronologies which differ from one another. As such, dates in the following lists are estimates. This list adopts the Oxford Chronology, although none of the major chronologies has any real authority over any of the others.

The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1589-1591)

 * First official record: Francis Meres' Palladis Tamia (1598)
 * First published: First Folio (1623)
 * First recorded performance: adaptation by Benjamin Victor performed at David Garrick's Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in 1762. Earliest known performance of straight Shakespearean text at Royal Opera House in 1784, although because of the inclusion of the play in Palladis Tamia, we know it was definitely performed in Shakespeare's day.
 * Evidence: The play contains passages which seem to borrow from John Lyly's Midas (1589), meaning it could not have been written prior to 1589. Additionally, Stanley Wells argues that the scenes involving more than four characters, "betray an uncertainty of technique suggestive of inexperience." As such, the play is considered to be one of the first Shakespeare composed upon arriving in London (Roger Warren, following E.A.J. Honigmann, suggests he may have written it prior to his arrival) and, as such, he lacked theatrical experience. This places the date of composition as most likely somewhere between 1589 and 1591.

The Taming of the Shrew (1590-1594)

 * First official record: possible version of play entered into Stationers' Register on 2 May 1594. First record of play as it exists today found in the First Folio (1623)
 * First published: possible version of play published in 1594 as A Pleasant Conceited Historie, called the taming of a Shrew. Play as it exists today first published in the First Folio (1623)
 * First recorded performance: probably performed at Newington Butts Theatre, 13 June 1594, as The Tamynge of A Shrowe.
 * Evidence: Scholars continue to debate the relationship between the 1594 A Shrew and the 1623 The Shrew. Some theorise that A Shrew is a reported text, meaning The Shrew must have been written prior to 2 May 1594; others, that A Shrew is an early draft, meaning The Shrew must have been completed sometime after 2 May 1594. Other critics argue that A Shrew could have been a source for The Shrew, or they could be two completely unrelated plays based on the same (now lost) source, or A Shrew could be an adaptation of The Shrew. Critics remain divided on this issue, and as such, dating the play is extremely difficult.

Henry VI, Part 2 (1590-1591)

 * First official record: version of the play entered into the Stationers' Register on 12 March 1594
 * First published: version of the play published in quarto in 1594 as The First part of the Contention betwixt the two famous Houses of Yorke and Lancaster, with the death of the good Duke Humphrey: And the banishment and death of the Duke of Suffolke, and the Tragicall end of the proud Cardinal of Winchester, with the notable Rebellion of Jack Cade: and the Duke of Yorke's first claim unto the Crowne. Play as it exists today first published in the First Folio (1623) as The second Part of Henry the Sixt, with the death of the Good Duke Humfrey
 * First recorded performance: a performance directed by James Anderson was staged at the Surrey Theatre on 23 April, 1864.
 * Evidence: It is known that 3 Henry VI was on stage by early 1592, and it is also known that 3 Henry VI was definitely a sequel to 2 Henry VI, meaning 2 Henry VI must have been on stage by early 1592 as well. This places the likely date of composition as 1590-1591.

Henry VI, Part 3 (1590-1591)

 * First official record: version of the play entered into the Stationers Register in 1595
 * First published: version of the play published in octavo in 1595 as The True Tragedie of Richard Duke of Yorke, and the death of good King Henrie the Sixt, with the Whole Contention betweene the two Houses Lancaster and Yorke. Play as it exists today first published in the First Folio (1623) as The thid Part of Henry the Sixt, with the death of the Duke of Yorke
 * First recorded performance: adaptations dominated the stage for many years. The earliest known performance of the straight Shakespearean text was in 1906, when F.R. Benson directed a production at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre.
 * Evidence: It is known that the play was on stage by early 1592 as in A Groatsworth of Wit, Bought with a Million of Repentance, Robert Greene mocked Shakespeare by parodying a line from 3 Henry VI. Groatsworth was registered in the Stationers' Register in September 1592, meaning True Tragedy/3 Henry VI must have been on stage prior to 23 June 1592 as that was when the government shut the London theatres due to an outbreak of plague. To have been on stage by June 1592, the play was most likely written some time in 1590 or 1591.

Henry VI, Part 1 (1591)

 * First official record: possibly in Philip Henslowe's Diary, 3 March 1592. Henslowe reports seeing a new play entitled Harey Vj (i.e. Henry VI) which could be a reference to 1 Henry VI. Additionally, an entry is found in the Stationers' Register in September, 1598 which refers to "The first and Second parte of Henry VJ". Most critics however feel this probably refers to what we today call 2 Henry VI and 3 Henry VI, not 1 Henry VI. The first definite record of the play was not until the First Folio in 1623, as the Henry VI trilogy was not included in Meres' Palladis Tamia.
 * First published: First Folio (1623) as The first Part of Henry the Sixt
 * First recorded performance: possibly on 3 March 1592 at The Rose in Southwark, as seen by Philip Henslowe; earliest definite performance was on 13 March 1738 at Covent Garden.
 * Evidence: On 3 March 1592, Philip Henslow saw a new play entitled Harey Vj, but gives no further information. In August, Thomas Nashe published Piers Penniless his Supplication to the Devil, in which he refers to a play he had recently seen featuring a rousing depiction of Lord Talbot, a major character in 1 Henry VI. Most critics take Nashe's reference to Talbot as proof that the play Henslow saw was 1 Henry VI. As such, to have been a new play in March 1592, it must have been written some time in 1591. Furthermore, many critics consider 1 Henry VI to have been a prequel to the successful two-part play The Contention and True Tragedy.

Titus Andronicus (1591-1592)

 * First official record: Philip Henslowe's Diary, 23 January 1594.
 * First published: version of the play published in quarto in February 1594 as The Most Lamentable Romaine Tragedy of Titus Andronicus. There are only minor differences between the 1594 and subsequent 1623 texts (i.e. the 1594 text is not considered a bad quarto). The Folio text appeared under the title The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus
 * First recorded performance: 23 January 1594 at the Rose Theatre in Southwark.
 * Evidence: Obviously, to have been on stage by January 1594, the play must have been written some time prior to that. According to the title page of the 1594 quarto, the play had been performed by Pembroke's Men, a company which ceased performing in September 1593. As such, the play must have been composed some time prior to September. Additionally, it is unlikely to have been written later than June 1592, as that was when the London theatres were closed due to an outbreak of plague. The theatres would remain shut for the better part of two years, not fully reopening until March 1594 and Shakespeare concentrated most of his energies during this period on poetry. As such, the play was most likely composed sometime between late-1591 and early 1592.

Richard III (1592)

 * First official record: version of the play entered into the Stationers' Register on 20 October 1597
 * First published: version of the play published in quarto in December 1597 as The tragedy of King Richard the third. Containing, his treacherous plots against his brother Clarence: the pittiefull murther of his innocent nephewes: his tyrannicall usurpation: with the whole course of his detested life, and most deserved death. Folio text appears under the title The Tragedy of Richard the Third, with the Landing of Earle Richmond, and the Battell at Bosworth Field
 * First recorded performance: in 1602, John Manningham mentions seeing Richard Burbage playing the role of Richard III in Shakespeare's play, but he offers no further information. The play was definitely performed at St James's Palace on November 16 and/or 17, 1633 by the King's Men.
 * Evidence: It is known that Richard III was definitely a sequel to 3 Henry VI, which was on-stage by 23 June 1592, hence Richard III must have been written later than early 1592. Additionally, the play has been argued to contain evidence that it was originally written for Strange's Men, but then rewritten for Pembroke's Men, a company which formed in mid-1592. Also, with the closure of the theatres due to an outbreak of plague in June 1592, the play was unlikely to have been written any later than that, all of which suggests a date of composition as sometime in early-1592.

===Edward III (1592-1593)===
 * First official record: entered into the Stationers' Register on 1 December 1595
 * First published: published in quarto in 1596 as The Raigne of King Edward the third
 * First recorded performance: 6 March 1911 at the Little Theatre in London, under the title The King and the Countess, directed by Gertrude Kingston and William Poel.
 * Evidence: Obviously, the play was written by December 1595. According to the title page of the quarto, the play had recently been performed, but no company information is provided. This could mean that the company that performed the play had disbanded during the closure of the theatres from June 1592 to March 1594. Furthermore, internal evidence suggests that the play may have been specifically written for Pembroke's Men, who ceased performing in September 1593. This places the date of composition as somewhere between early 1592 and September 1593.

The Comedy of Errors (1594)

 * First official record: if this is the same as the play titled "The Night of Errors", it was performed on 28 December 1594 at Gray's Inn.
 * First published: First Folio (1623)
 * First recorded performance: 28 December 1594 at Gray's Inn, performed by the Lord Chamberlain's Men.
 * Evidence: Probably the "errors" referred to in Meres' Palladia Tamia.

Love's Labour's Lost (1594-1595)

 * First official record: version of the play published in 1598 (this play was never entered into the Stationers' Register)
 * First published: version of the play published in quarto in 1598 as A Pleasant Conceited Comedie called Loves labors lost
 * First recorded performance: according to the quarto title page, the play was performed at court for Queen Elizabeth sometime over Christmas 1597.
 * Evidence:

Love's Labour's Won (1595)

 * First official record: Francis Meres' Palladis Tamia (1598)
 * First published: the play has never been published
 * First recorded performance: there are no recorded performances of the play
 * Evidence: The play is mentioned in a booklist by Christopher Hunt in August 1603. Aside from this, and the mention in Meres, there is no other evidence for the existence of the play (although the title suggests it was a sequel to Love's Labour's Lost, hence its position in the Oxford chronology). Whether or not this play ever existed is open to debate. The inclusion in Meres has been explained by some critics as a reference to a play we now know as another name. As neither The Taming of the Shrew nor Much Ado About Nothing were included in Meres, these two plays are often cited as possibilities. All's Well That Ends Well has also been suggested.

Richard II (1595)

 * First official record: version of the play entered into the Stationers' Register on 29 August 1597
 * First published: version of the play published in quarto in 1597 as The Tragedie of King Richard the second. 1623 Folio text appeared under the title The life and death of King Richard the Second
 * First recorded performance: possible performance on 9 December 1595 at Sir Edward Hoby's house in Canon Row, watched by Sir Robert Cecil; earliest definite recorded performance at the Globe Theatre on 7 February 7 1601.
 * Evidence:

Romeo and Juliet (1593-1595)

 * First official record: version of the play published in 1597 (this play was never entered into the Stationers' Register)
 * First published: version of the play published in quarto in 1597 as An excellent conceited tragedie of Romeo and Juliet
 * First recorded performance: 1 March 1662 at Lincoln's Inn Fields, directed by William Davenant.
 * Evidence:

A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595)

 * First official record: Francis Meres' Palladis Tamia (1598)
 * First published: in quarto in November or December 1600
 * First recorded performance:
 * Evidence:

The Life and Death of King John (1596-1597)

 * First official record: Francis Meres' Palladis Tamia (1598)
 * First published: First Folio (1623)
 * First recorded performance: although there are several references to the play having been performed during the seventeenth century, none of them offer any specific details, and the first definite performance was on 26 February 1737 at Covent Garden.
 * Evidence:

The Merchant of Venice (1596)

 * First official record: version of the play entered into the Stationers' Register on 22 July 1598
 * First published: version of the play published in quarto in 1598 as The most excellent historie of the merchant of Venice. With the extreame crueltie of Shylocke the Jewe towards the sayd merchant, in cutting a just pound of his flesh: and the obtayning of Portia by the choyse of three chests
 * First recorded performance: the play was performed at court for King James on 10 February 1605.
 * Evidence: The play was obviously in existence by 1598, however, other evidence places its date of composition as earlier, probably 1596. Shakespeare's source for the casket subplot is believed to have been Richard Robinson's translation of the Gesta romanorum, which wasn't published until late 1595. In addition, Salarino's reference to "my wealthy Andrew docked in sand" is thought to refer to the San Andréas, a Spanish merchant vessel that ran aground in Essex in June 1596. It is also thought by scholars that the play was written to capitalise on the enormous success of Christopher Marlowe's The Jew of Malta, which was first performed in 1596.

Henry IV, Part 1 (1596)

 * First official record: version of the play entered into the Stationers' Register on 25 February 1598
 * First published: version of the play published in quarto in 1598 as The History of Henrie the Fourth, with the battell at Shrewsburie between the King and Lord Henry Percy, surnamed Hotspur of the North, with the humorous conceits of Sir John Falstaffe 1623 Folio text appeared under the title The First Part of Henry the Fourth, with the Life and Death of Henry Sirnamed Hot-spurre
 * First recorded performance: the play was probably performed at court for an Ambassador from Burgundy on 6 March 1600.
 * Evidence:

The Merry Wives of Windsor (1597)

 * First official record: version of the play entered into the Stationers' Register on 18 January 1602
 * First published: version of the play published in quarto in 1602 as A most pleasaunt and excellent conceited comedie, of Sir John Falstaffe, and the merrie wives of Windsor. Entermixed with sundrie variable and pleasing humors, of Sir Hugh the Welch knight, Justice Shallow, and his wise cousin M. Slender. With the swaggering vaine of Auncient Pistoll, and Corporall Nym
 * First recorded performance: 4 November 1604 at Whitehall Palace.
 * Evidence: Textual evidence and certain topical allusions suggest the play was composed as a specially commissioned piece for a Garter Feast (an annual meeting of the Order of the Garter), possibly the Feast on 23 April 1597. It is theorised that Shakespeare interrupted his composition of 2 Henry IV somewhere around Act 3-Act 4, so as to concentrate on writing Merry Wives.

Henry IV, Part 2 (1596-1597)

 * First official record: version of the play entered into the Stationers' Register on 23 August 1600
 * First published: version of the play published in quarto in 1600 as The second part of Henrie the fourth, continuing to his death, and coronation of Henrie the fift. With the humours of Sir John Falstaffe, and swaggering Pistoll 1623 Folio text appeared under the title The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, Containing his Death and the Coronation of King Henry the Fift
 * First recorded performance: a play entitled Sir John Falstaffe was performed at Whitehall over the Christmas period of 1612 which is believed to be 2 Henry IV.
 * Evidence: The play could not have been written any earlier than January 1596, as it contains an allusion to the Sultanate of Muhammad III, who didn't become sultan until that date.

Much Ado About Nothing (1598)

 * First official record: version of the play published in 1600 (this play was never entered into the Stationers' Register)
 * First published: Much adoe about Nothing was published in quarto in 1600
 * First recorded performance: 14 February 1613, performed at court as part of the festivities to celebrate the marriage of Princess Elizabeth of Bohemia and Frederick V, Elector Palatine
 * Evidence: The play was not included in Francis Meres' Palladis Tamia, which was registered on 7 September 1598, suggesting it hadn't been performed prior to that date. Furthermore, evidence in the quarto text suggests that Shakespeare originally wrote the role of Dogberry for William Kempe, however, records indicate that Kempe left the Lord Chamberlain's Men sometime in late 1598, so the play must have been written before then. As such, it was most likely composed sometime in the latter half of 1598 and was certainly completed before the new year.

Henry V (1599)

 * First official record: version of the play entered into the Stationers' Register on 14 August 1600
 * First published: version of the play published in quarto in 1600 as The cronicle history of Henry the fift, with his battell fought at Agin Court in France. Togither with Auntient Pistoll. 1623 Folio text appeared under the title The Life of Henry the Fift
 * First recorded performance: 7 January 1605 at the Globe Theatre, performed by the Lord Chamberlain's Men.
 * Evidence: Of all Shakespeare's plays, Henry V is one of the easiest to date. A reference by the Chorus to the Earl of Essex's Irish expedition of 1599 means the play was most likely written sometime between March 1599 (when Essex left for Ireland) and September 1599 (when he returned).

Julius Caesar (1599)

 * First official record: Thomas Platter the Younger's Diary, 21 September 1599
 * First published: First Folio (1623) as The Tragedie of Julius Caesar
 * First recorded performance: 21 September 1599 at the newly opened Globe Theatre
 * Evidence: Obviously, the play was completed by September 1599, and may have been composed specifically as the opening play for the new theatre. In addition, because the play is not mentioned in Meres' Palladis Tamia, registered in September 1598, it was unlikely to have been performed prior to then. This places the date of composition as somewhere between September 1598 and September 1599. Additionally, textual analysis has connected the play to Henry V, which was almost certainly written in 1599, suggesting so too was Julius Caesar.

As You Like It (1599)

 * First official record: on 4 August 1600 a staying order was entered in the Stationers' Register for As yo like yt
 * First published: First Folio (1623)
 * First recorded performance: possibly on 2 December 1603 at Wilton House in Wiltshire, where a play was performed for James I; earliest definite performance on 20 December 1740, at Drury Lane.
 * Evidence:

Twelfth Night (1601)

 * First official record: John Manningham mentions in his Diary having seen the play performed in February 1602
 * First published: First Folio (1623) as Twelfe Night, Or what you will
 * First recorded performance: John Manningham saw the play performed at the Middle Temple on Candlemas 1602, which fell on 2 February.
 * Evidence:

Hamlet (1599-1601)

 * First official record: version of the play entered into the Stationers' Register on 26 July 1602. Folio text appeared under the title The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke
 * First published: version of the play published in quarto in 1603 as The tragicall historie of Hamlet Prince of Denmarke
 * First recorded performance: the entry in the Stationers' Register in July 1602 states that the play was "latelie Acted by the Lo: Chamberleyne his servantes", however, it offers no further information. The first definite performance took place on a ship anchored off the coast of Africa in September 1607, the Red Dragon. The play was performed by the crew.
 * Evidence: Because the versions of Hamlet which appeared in 1603, in 1604 (again in quarto) and in the First Folio of 1623 differ so much from one another, dating the play is exceptionally difficult. There is also the problem of the Ur-Hamlet, a possible source used by Shakespeare and which is now lost. Others however, feel that Ur-Hamlet (if it ever existed) was most likely an early draft. Obviously, the play was written sometime between September 1598 (as it was not included in Meres' Palladis Tamia) and July 1602 (when it was registered in the Stationers Register). Furthermore, internal references to Julius Caesar would indicate the play could not have been written any earlier than September 1599. Additionally, in his 1598 copy of an edition of Geoffrey Chaucer's works, Gabriel Harvey has written that Shakespeare's "Lucrece & his tragedie of Hamlet, prince of Denmarke, have it in them, to please the wiser sort". Harvey also mentions the Earl of Essex as still alive, which would suggest he wrote the note prior to 25 February 1601, when Essex was executed. This would seem to narrow the date of composition to between September 1599 and February 1601, however not all scholars accept the veracity of Harvey's note. Internal evidence in the play has also been cited, usually as illustrative of a date of composition of 1600 or 1601. As such, many scholars interpret the available evidence as suggestive of a date of initial composition sometime in 1600, with subsequent revisions. This dating, however, is far from universally accepted.

Troilus and Cressida (1601)

 * First official record: version of the play entered into the Stationers' Register on 7 February 1603
 * First published: version of the play published in quarto in 1609 as The historie of Troylus and Cresseida. 1623 Folio text appeared under the title The Tragedie of Troilus and Cressida
 * First recorded performance: an adaptation of the play by John Dryden was staged in 1679.
 * Evidence:

Measure for Measure (1600-1603)

 * First official record: revels accounts for Christmas 1604-1605 state the play was performed over the holidays
 * First published: First Folio (1623)
 * First recorded performance: Revels accounts for Christmas 1604-1605 indicate the play was performed at Whitehall on St. Stephen's Day 1604.
 * Evidence: This play is notoriously difficult to date specifically partly due to a lack of solid evidence and partly due to the theory that the text which appeared in the First Folio was not Shakespeare's original text. Obviously the play was written (in some form) prior to December 1604. The only other evidence are possible topical references within the play itself which would seem to indicate a date most likely in 1602,, however this is not universally accepted by all scholars. Furthermore, there is a theory that Thomas Middleton rewrote the play after Shakespeare's death, possibly in 1621, which throws further doubt on the exact date of initial composition.

Othello (1602-1603)

 * First official record: revels accounts refer to the play having been performed in November 1604
 * First published: version of the play published in quarto in 1622 as The Tragedy of Othello, the Moore of Venice
 * First recorded performance: revels accounts indicate the play was performed at Whitehall on 1 November 1604.
 * Evidence:

King Lear (1603-1606)

 * First official record: version of the play entered into the Stationers' Register on 26 November 1607 as A booke called. Mr William Shakespeare his historye of Kinge Lear
 * First published: version of the play published in quarto in 1608 as The true chronicle historie of the life and death of King Lear and his three daughters. With the unfortunate life of Edgar, sonne and heire to the Earle of Gloster, and his sullen and assumed humor of Tom of Bedlam
 * First recorded performance: according to the Stationers' Register, the play was performed at Whitehall on 26 December 1606
 * Evidence: the play must have been written by late 1606. Additionally, most scholars agree that it couldn't have been written any earlier than 1603, as it seems to be partially indebted to Samuel Harsnett's Declaration of Egregious Popish Impostures (entered into the Stationers' Register on 16 March 1603). This would place the date of composition as somewhere between March 1603 and December 1606. A further possible source for the play has evoked some disagreement however. Whilst many scholars feel that Shakespeare used the anonymous play The True Chronicle History of King Leir (entered into the Stationers' Register on 8 May 1605), and hence must have been written between May 1605 and December 1606, others argue that the relationship between the two plays has been inverted, and The True Chronicle History of King Leir was actually written to capitalise on the success of Shakespeare's play, which was probably written in 1603 or 1604. No real critical consensus has been reached regarding this disagreement.

Timon of Athens (1605-1606)

 * First official record: entered into the Stationers' Register on 8 May 1623
 * First published: First Folio (1623) as The Life of Timon of Athens
 * First recorded performance: in 1674, Thomas Shadwell wrote an adaptation of the play under the title Timon of Athens: Or, The Man-hater
 * Evidence: This play is another which is extremely difficult to date precisely, not the least cause of which is the claim that Shakespeare may only have written part of it, with the play being subsequently edited by Thomas Middleton. It has also been argued that the play could not have been staged at the Globe, and hence, Shakespeare's involvement may be minimal. There is no reference to the play whatsoever prior to 1623, and as such, evidence for its date of composition must come from within the play itself.

Macbeth (1603-1606)

 * First official record: possibly by Simon Forman, who records seeing the play in April 1611. However, there is considerable debate amongst scholars as to whether Forman's account is genuine
 * First published: First Folio (1623) as The Tragedie of Macbeth
 * First recorded performance: possibly in April 1611, recorded by Simon Forman
 * Evidence: A reference to 'dire combustion' seems to allude to the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Most scholars place the date of composition as somewhere between 1603 and 1607, and efforts to narrow that date have proved inconclusive. In 1790, Edward Malone dated the play 1606, and most scholars agree with this date, however they acknowledge that there is little solid evidence, and instead, the date simply seems correct in the context of Shakespeare's other work of the period. One piece of evidence cited as suggestive of a date in late 1606 is the sisters "sev'n-nights, nine times nine" chant. It has been suggested that this alludes to a real ship which was lost in a tempest in December 1604, before rejoining the fleet and eventually returning to harbour in June 1606 after 567 days at sea. 7x9x9 is 567, which some believe is a reference to the voyage. Furthermore, the name of the ship was Tiger's Whelp, and the Weird Sisters do allude in the play to a ship called the Tiger. If this is correct, the play could not have been written any earlier than July 1606.

Antony and Cleopatra (1606)

 * First official record: entered into the Stationers' Register on 20 May 1608
 * First published: First Folio (1623) as The Tragedie of Antony and Cleopatra
 * First recorded performance: according to the 1669 records for the Lord Chamberlain's Men, the play had recently been performed at Blackfriars, but no further information is given; earliest definite performance in 1759 when it was staged by David Garrick.
 * Evidence:

All's Well That Ends Well (1606-1607)

 * First official record: First Folio (1623)
 * First published: First Folio (1623)
 * First recorded performance: 1741 at Goodman's Fields Theatre, directed by Henry Giffard.
 * Evidence:

Pericles, Prince of Tyre (1608-1609)

 * First official record: version of the play entered into the Stationers' Register on 20 May 1608
 * First published: version of the play published in quarto in 1609 as The Late and much admired Play Called Pericles, Prince of Tyre, with the true Relation of the whole History, adventures, and fortunes of the sayd Prince: As also, the no lesse strange, and worthy accidents, in the Birth and Life, of his Daughter Mariana
 * First recorded performance: April 1607, seen by the Venetian ambassador to England, Zorzi Giustinian.
 * Evidence: Because the play was not included in the First Folio, there has always been doubt as to whether or not Shakespeare actually wrote it at all. The general theory today is that Shakespeare wrote an initial version of the play, which was then altered by George Wilkins. In 1608, Wilkins published a prose narrative of Pericles which contains several lines that seem to recall specific lines in the play, leading to the conclusion that his editing of the play led him to the composition of the prose. This would place Wilkins' revision in 1607-1608. Furthermore, textual analysis of the play have led it to be placed as near contemporaneous with All's Well That Ends Well and Coriolanus, which would confirm a date of 1607-1608.

Coriolanus (1608)

 * First official record: entered into the Stationers' Register on 8 November 1623
 * First published: First Folio (1623) as The Tragedy of Coriolanus
 * First recorded performance: an adaptation of the play by Nahum Tate was performed at Drury Lane in 1681, under the title The Ingratitude of a Common-Wealth
 * Evidence:

The Winter's Tale (1594-1611)

 * First official record: possibly by Simon Forman on 15 March 1611 when he saw the play at the Globe
 * First published: First Folio (1623)
 * First recorded performance: possibly on 15 March 1611, when Simon Forman saw it performed at the Globe
 * Evidence: Of all Shakespeare's plays, this is perhaps the most difficult to date with any degree of accuracy. It has provoked great debate amongst scholars, who posit dates ranging from 1594 to 1611. Obviously the play was written by March 1611. Today, most critics gravitate towards the later date, with 1610-1611 receiving the most support. There is no external evidence other than Forman's note, and some believe there is a reference in the play to Ben Jonson's Oberon, which would date the play as late 1611 but, the allusion (which not all critics agree it is) could have been added at a later date, and hence doesn't preclude an earlier date. Other critics have posited a revisions theory, that the play may have been written early in his career and then revised by him at a later date. Textual analyses are the only available evidence, but unlike many of the plays, they are inconclusive, and indicate that the play could indeed belong to the beginning of his career or the end.

Cymbeline (1610-1611)

 * First official record: Simon Forman saw it performed at the Globe in 1611
 * First published: First Folio (1623) as The Tragedie of Cymbeline
 * First recorded performance: In an undated entry, Simon Forman saw the play performed at the Globe in 1611
 * Evidence:

The Tempest (1610-1611)

 * First official record: revels accounts refer to the play having been performed in November 1611
 * First published: First Folio (1623)
 * First recorded performance: 1 November 1611, at Whitehall for James I, performed by the King’s Men.
 * Evidence:

Cardenio (1612-1613)

 * First official record: entered into the Stationers' Register in 1653, attributed to William Shakespeare and John Fletcher
 * First published: an adaptation was published in 1727 by Lewis Theobald entitled , Double Falshood, or the Distrest Lovers
 * First recorded performance: 1613, performed at the Globe by the King's Company
 * Evidence: A lost play, published only in an adaptation by Lewis Theobald entitled Double Falshood (1728).

Henry VIII, or All is True (1613)

 * First official record:
 * First published: First Folio (1623) as The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight
 * First recorded performance: 29 June 1613, the night the Globe burnt down.
 * Evidence: Probably written in collaboration with John Fletcher

The Two Noble Kinsmen (1613)

 * First official record: entered into the Stationer' Register on 8 April 1634
 * First published: published in quarto in 1634
 * First recorded performance:
 * Evidence: Not included in the First Folio; written in collaboration with John Fletcher.

Sir John Oldcastle (1600)

 * First official record:
 * First published:
 * First recorded performance:
 * Evidence: Philip Henslowe's diary records it was actually written by Anthony Munday, Michael Drayton, Richard Hathwaye and Robert Wilson in collaboration.

Sir Thomas More (Shakespeare's involvement: 1603-1604)

 * First official record: 1728, MS owned by John Murray
 * First published: 1844 by the Shakespeare Society
 * First recorded performance: at the Nottingham Playhouse in 1964, starring Ian McKellen.
 * Evidence: The original play is believed to have been written in 1591-1592 by Anthony Munday and Henry Chettle. Due to censorship issues and problems staging the play because of an unusually large number of speaking parts, the play was substantially revised by Thomas Heywood, Thomas Dekker and (possibly) William Shakespeare. When the revision took place is difficult to determine, as evidence places it at some time between 1593 and 1604, although the majority of critics seem to favour a later date of 1603-1604. Whether or not Shakespeare was involved with the writing of the play is still open to debate. The argument is that three pages of the MS are in his handwriting, but this is not universally accepted. Of the various editions of the complete works, only the Oxford 2nd edition of 2005 includes the play. However, Oxford have never issued a stand-alone scholarly edition of the play, neither have Cambridge, Norton or Penguin. A scholarly edition is available under the Revels Plays banner and in the Arden Shakespeare however.

The London Prodigal (1604)

 * First official record:
 * First published: 1605
 * First recorded performance:
 * Evidence: Acted by Shakespeare's company and published under his name, but the style is not his.

A Yorkshire Tragedy (1605)

 * First official record:
 * First published: 1608
 * First recorded performance:
 * Evidence: Acted by Shakespeare's company and published under his name, but the style is not his. More probably by Thomas Middleton.