rises into the full, although youthful, Shakespeare; it was the negative period of his perfection.
| Love's Labour's Lost. | |
|---|---|
| Twelfth Night. | |
| As You Like It. | |
| Midsummer Night's Dream. | |
| Richard II. | |
| Henry IV. and V. | |
| Henry VIII.; Gelegenheitsgedicht. | |
| Romeo and Juliet, as at present. | |
| Merchant of Venice. |
FOURTH EPOCH.
| Much Ado about Nothing. | |
|---|---|
| Merry Wives of Windsor; first edition. | |
| Henry VI.; rifacimento. |
FIFTH EPOCH.
The period of beauty was now past; and that of δεινότης and grandeur succeeds.
| Lear. | |
|---|---|
| Macbeth. | |
| Hamlet. | |
| Timon of Athens; an after vibration of Hamlet. | |
| Troilus and Cressida; Uebergang in die Ironie. | |
| The Roman Plays. | |
| King John, as at present. | |
| Merry Wives of Windsor | |
| Taming of the Shrew umgearbeitet. | |
| Measure for Measure. | |
| Othello. | |
| Tempest. | |
| Winter's Tale. | |
| Cymbeline. |
CLASSIFICATION ATTEMPTED, 1810.
Shakespeare's earliest dramas I take to be—
| Love's Labour's Lost. | |
|---|---|
| All's Well that Ends Well. | |
| Comedy of Errors. | |
| Romeo and Juliet. |