Richard II.
King John.
Henry VI.,—'rifacimento' only.
Richard III.
Third Epoch.
Henry IV.
Henry V.
Merry Wives of Windsor.
Henry VIII.,—a sort of historical masque, or show play.
Fourth Epoch
gives all the graces and facilities of a genius in full possession and habitual exercise of power, and peculiarly of the feminine, the lady's character.
Tempest.
As You Like It.
Merchant of Venice.
Twelfth Night.
and, finally, at its very point of culmination,—
Lear.
Hamlet.
Macbeth.
Othello.
Last Epoch,
when the energies of intellect in the cycle of genius were, though in a rich and more potentiated form, becoming predominant over passion and creative self-manifestation.