Shakespeare's plays ranked from best to worst
The top 3 according to 140 votes from people: Hamlet · Richard III · Othello. (Updated Apr 20, 2025.)
All 37 plays in the traditional canon, from the great tragedies to the ones almost nobody stages, ordered as in StageMilk's ranking and other critics' lists.
Top 37
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1
Hamlet
Tragedy, c. 1600. The prince of Denmark and his endless doubt.
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2
Richard III
History, c. 1593. The villain who charms the audience.
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3
Othello
Tragedy, c. 1603. Iago, the jealousy machine.
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4
Henry IV, Part 1
History, c. 1597. Prince Hal and the unforgettable Falstaff.
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5
Twelfth Night
Comedy, c. 1601. Shipwrecked twins and mistaken identities.
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6
Measure for Measure
Problem play, c. 1604. Justice and hypocrisy in Vienna.
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7
The Merchant of Venice
Comedy, c. 1596. Shylock and the pound of flesh.
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8
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Comedy, c. 1595. Fairies, lovers and amateur actors in a forest.
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9
Romeo and Juliet
Tragedy, c. 1595. The most famous love story ever staged.
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10
Henry VI, Part 2
History, c. 1591. Jack Cade's rebellion.
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11
Macbeth
Tragedy, c. 1606. Ambition, witches and blood in Scotland.
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12
King Lear
Tragedy, c. 1606. An old king divides his kingdom and loses everything.
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13
Julius Caesar
Tragedy, 1599. Conspiracy and rhetoric in Rome.
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14
Henry VI, Part 1
History, c. 1591. Joan of Arc and the start of the Wars of the Roses.
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15
Troilus and Cressida
Problem play, c. 1602. The Trojan War seen without any glory.
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16
Cymbeline
Romance, c. 1610. Ancient Britain, a wager and a sleeping potion.
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17
The Tempest
Romance, c. 1611. Prospero's island, often read as his farewell.
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18
Much Ado About Nothing
Comedy, c. 1598. Beatrice and Benedick's war of wits.
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19
Henry V
History, 1599. Agincourt and the great rallying speeches.
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20
Richard II
History, c. 1595. A poet-king who loses his crown.
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21
Coriolanus
Tragedy, c. 1608. A Roman general too proud for politics.
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22
The Taming of the Shrew
Comedy, c. 1591. Petruchio and Katherina; much debated today.
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23
As You Like It
Comedy, c. 1599. Rosalind in disguise in the Forest of Arden.
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24
Henry IV, Part 2
History, c. 1598. Falstaff grows old and Hal grows up.
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25
Henry VIII
History, 1613. Written with John Fletcher; the Globe burned during a performance.
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26
The Winter's Tale
Romance, c. 1611. Jealousy, sixteen lost years and a statue that comes alive.
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27
The Comedy of Errors
Comedy, c. 1594. Two sets of twins, one huge mix-up.
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28
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
Comedy, c. 1590. Possibly his first play; famous for the dog Crab.
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29
Pericles, Prince of Tyre
Romance, c. 1608. Co-written; shipwrecks and a long lost daughter.
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30
Timon of Athens
Tragedy, c. 1606. A generous man turned misanthrope.
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31
Antony and Cleopatra
Tragedy, c. 1607. Love and empire between Rome and Egypt.
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32
Henry VI, Part 3
History, c. 1591. The young Richard of Gloucester appears.
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33
Titus Andronicus
Tragedy, c. 1592. His bloodiest revenge play.
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34
King John
History, c. 1596. The reign of Magna Carta's king, without Magna Carta.
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35
All's Well That Ends Well
Problem play, c. 1605. Helena wins a husband who doesn't want her.
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36
Love's Labour's Lost
Comedy, c. 1595. Four young men swear off women; it goes badly.
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37
The Merry Wives of Windsor
Comedy, c. 1597. Falstaff tries his luck with two married women.
How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.
Is something missing?
Comments (1)
Measure for Measure deserves way more love than it gets, the Isabella scenes are brutal