When were Shakespearean plays performed and published?

Shakespearean plays were primarily performed during the Elizabethan era, which spanned the reign of Queen Elizabeth I from 1558 to 1603. However, some of his works were also written and performed during the subsequent Jacobean era, which began with the accession of King James I in 1603.

Most of Shakespeare's plays were first performed by the Lord Chamberlain's Men, a theater company for which he was a principal playwright and shareholder. They performed at various venues in London, including The Theatre, The Curtain, and the Globe Theatre.

In terms of publication, Shakespeare's plays were initially circulated in quarto editions, which were small, inexpensive books that were often pirated and of variable quality. The First Folio, a collected edition of Shakespeare's plays, was not published until 1623, seven years after his death. It is considered an important milestone in the preservation and dissemination of Shakespeare's works.

Here are some key dates related to the performance and publication of Shakespeare's plays:

First Performance Dates:

- "Romeo and Juliet" (c. 1595)

- "Henry V" (c. 1599)

- "Hamlet" (c. 1603)

- "Othello" (c. 1604)

- "King Lear" (c. 1606)

- "Macbeth" (c. 1606)

- "The Tempest" (c. 1611)

First Folio Publication Date:

- The First Folio (1623)