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Shakespeare’s Work 
For more than 25 years Shakespeare had been associated with the best theatres of 
England. During the 22 years of his literary work he produced 37 plays, two narrative poems and 
154 sonnets.
His literary work may be divided into three major periods: 
the first period from 1590-1600 
the second period from 1601-1608 
the third period from 1609-1612 
The First Period (1590-1600) 
Comedies 
The first period of Shakespeare’s work may be defined as a period of comedies and 
histories. An exception is “Romeo and Juliet” (1594), one of the tragedies written before 1600. 
But it preserves many traits of the other plays of this period and remains an apotheosis of 
youthful and triumphant love. On the whole, the spirit of Shakespeare’s early work is optimistic.
Still the plays of this period are based on sharp conflicts. His early comedies already present the 
mixture of tragic and comic elements – the contrast between the laughable and the serious, or in 
other words the blending of opposite qualities, which is so characteristic of Shakespeare’s 
realistic art. Thus in the “Comedy of Errors” which is full of fun and merriment one hears 
sorrowful and even tragic notes.

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In the “Taming of the Shrew” Shakespeare’s critical tendencies are already distinctly revealed. 
The plot of the comedy is borrowed. But having taken the old plot, Shakespeare infused a new 
life into it, created a comedy, humane and progressive in its essence. He gave a new 
interpretation to the principal characters, introduced new ones for contrast and made the social 
background stand out with great vividness. The main heroes: Petruchio, Babtisla, Katharina, 
Bianca.
“Twelfth Night” - the last play of the first period – may be considered an artistic consummation 
of the best images and ideas of all Shakespeare’s comedies. (Sebastian, Viola, Olivia, Orsino). 
The play is imbued with humanist ideas. It is devoted to the glorification of faithful love that 
overcomes the hardest of obstacles. The young girl Viola struggles for her happiness and wins it 
owing to her love and wit. Love works wonder with people turning the cold and naughty Olivia 
into a tender-hearted girl and making the Duke marry Viola, a girl who is inferior to him in rank.
As it is always the case with Shakespeare true love is associated with high-mindedness and 
mutual understanding.