AustLit

The Tempest is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place using illusion and skillful manipulation. He conjures up a storm, the eponymous tempest, to lure his usurping brother Antonio and the complicit King Alonso of Naples to the island. There, his machinations bring about the revelation of Antonio's lowly nature, the redemption of the King, and the marriage of Miranda to Alonso's son, Ferdinand.

Written between 1603 and 1606 and published in quarto in 1608, The True Chronicle of the History of the Life and Death of King Lear and His Three Daughters, was later revised as The Tragedy of King Lear (1623). The plot revolves around Lear, who descends into madness after giving his estate away to two of his three daughters based on their flattery. This results in tragic consequences for all. The play is based on the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological pre-Roman Celtic king.

King Lear has been widely adapted for the stage and motion pictures, and the role of Lear has been coveted and played by many of the world's most accomplished actors. King Lear has been regularly staged in Australia since the early colonial period, and has also been adapted into various other forms and gnres, including musicals, pantomimes and burlesques.

Although Measure for Measure is generally considered to be a comedy, its mood defies those expectations. The play deals with the issues of mercy, justice, and truth and their relationship to pride and humility: "Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall". Originally published in the First Folio of 1623 (where it was first labelled as a comedy), the play's first recorded performance was in 1604.

Hamlet is a tragedy, set in Denmark. The ghost of Hamlet's father, the King, calls on him to seek revenge on Hamlet's Uncle, who is accused of murdering the King.

One of Shakespeare's pastoral comedies, As You LIke It is believed to have been written in 1599 or early 1600. Its first folio was not published until 1623, however. The play follows its heroine Rosalind as she flees persecution in her uncle's court, accompanied by her cousin Celia and Touchstone the court jester, to find safety and, eventually, love, in the Forest of Arden. Featuring one of Shakespeare's most famous and often-quoted speeches, 'All the world's a stage,' and also likely the origin of the phrase 'too much of a good thing,' As You Like It has been adapted for radio, film, and musical theatre.