Shakespeare wrote at least 38 plays and over 150 short and long poems, many of which are considered to be the finest ever written in English. His works have been translated into every major living language, and some others besides (the Folger’s holdings include translations in Esperanto and Klingon), and nearly 400 years after his death, they continue to be performed around the world.
To read or learn more about a play, sonnet, or poem, choose from the selections below. You can read Shakespeare’s full text, learn more about its themes, language, early printing history, and access images and other resources from the Folger’s collection that illustrate key concepts.
