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As Shakespeare's work was written at the turn of the seventeenth century, and its historical and cultural significance would not be known for years to come, much of chronological evidence for when he wrote his plays has not been preserved. Therefore, scholars have had to use a variety of other sources to piece this timeline together, and there is still much debate about the dates when Shakespeare's works were written and first performed. While none of the major timelines takes real precedent over the others, and new evidence continues to emerge, one of the most widely accepted chronologies is that of The Oxford Shakespeare: The Complete Works.

All written within 24 years

This study claims that Shakespeare's 37 plays were all written in less than quarter of a century, between 1589 and 1613. The period where the most plays were written was between 1595 and 1601, at 17 plays. Roughly two thirds of Shakespeare's plays were written over a twelve-year period, between 1589 and 1601, with the other third coming over the following twelve years. The years where the most plays were written were in 1595 and 1606, with four plays per year being created during this time.

Tragic endings

Although Shakespeare wrote double the amount of plays in the first half of his career, he focused more on tragedies in the second half, which tend to be longer and are considered to deal with more complex issues. Shakespeare retired from the theater in 1611, and it is presumed (based on his burial records) that he died on April 23, 1616 (which is also presumed to have been his 52nd birthday). Although much of his work has been lost and we do not know everything about his life, William Shakespeare continues to be a figure of fascination to this day, and more than four centuries after his death, his works are still some of the most studied, performed, replicated and enjoyed artistic pieces worldwide.