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Euripides (480 BC-406 BC) is revered as one of the three great tragedians of classical Athens, along with Aeschylus and Sophocles, and produced the largest body of extant work by any ancient playwright. These three provided the canon of Greek tragedy and thereby lay the foundation of Western theatre. Euripides' works are characterized by their moral ambiguity, plots of intrigue, and a separate character (usually a deity) who introduces the play with an explanatory prologue. «Heracles» was first performed in 416 b.c.e. at the City Dionysia festival, and remains one of the playwright's most puzzling works. The somewhat disconnected halves of this story feature a powerful climax when Heracles undergoes a fit of madness in the underworld. It explores themes of courage, endurance and nobility, as Heracles comes to the realization that he must accept his flaws and face whatever life has in store for him.

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"The Comedy of Errors" is the story of two identical twins named Antipholus who are separated following a shipwreck 25 years earlier. Antipholus of Ephesus grows up in Ephesus with his mother, while Antipholus of Syracuse grows up in Syracuse with his father. Despite a ban on travel between the two cities, their father, Egeon, travels from Syracuse to Ephesus to try and find his long lost son and wife.

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"Much Ado About Nothing" is the story of Leonato, an Italian nobleman, his daughter, Hero, and his niece, Beatrice. Following a war Leonato welcomes into his house Don Pedro, his good friend; fellow soldiers of Don Pedro, Claudio and Benedick; as well as Don Pedro's illegitimate brother, Don John. Quickly amorous relations develop between Claudio and Hero and later between Benedick and Beatrice. As wedding plans are being made for Claudio and Hero, Don John tricks Claudio into believing that Hero has been unfaithful. The wedding bliss is briefly interrupted until the truth is finally discovered and the play ends in a joyful double wedding.

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The third play of Shakespeare's 'First Tetralogy,' this «Part III» is widely regarded as the best of the three works on Henry VI. The Bard's skill in producing scenes of moving drama is readily apparent, for Queen Margaret journeys to France in search of military aid after King Henry brokers a deal with his enemy Richard, Duke of York, for physical protection. Many bloody and heart-rending battles take place in this play as the War of the Roses reaches its climax, with Henry VI returning from exile only to be murdered in the Tower of London by Richard, Duke of Gloucester. Though the civil war is brought to an end with the defeat of the Yorkists, the villainous plotting of the future Richard III is prophesied in Henry VI's last words. This hints at his notorious actions and tragic reign in «Richard III,» the final play of the 'First Tetralogy,' which established Shakespeare's success and reputation as a playwright to both his contemporaries and all future readers of his works.

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William Shakespeare's «Romeo and Juliet» is considered to be one of the greatest tragic love stories of all time. Romeo who is a member of the house of Montague falls in love with Juliet who is a member of the house of Capulet. The Montagues and the Capulets have been engaged in a feud for many years and as such the love between Romeo and Juliet is forbidden. Written near the end of the 16th century, «Romeo and Juliet,» which is one of Shakespeare's earliest dramas, is the story of love that can never be realized and the tragedy that ensues.

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William Shakespeare's «Measure for Measure» takes place in the Austrian city of Vienna, which is ruled by Lord Angelo. Lord Angelo believes that there is too much debauchery in the city and seeks to more strictly enforce laws against certain sexual activities. The story centers on Claudio who has impregnated his fiancee Juliet outside the bonds of marriage. Despite their plans to marry Lord Angelo wishes to make an example of Claudio by sentencing him to death.

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Perhaps one of Shakespeare's most adventure-filled plays, «Pericles» follows the extended sailing journeys of a young prince. Pericles is forced to flee Antioch when he correctly guesses a riddle that reveals the incestuous activity of King Antiochus. Unable to stay at home in Tyre because of Antiochus' vengeance, he sails away and ends up shipwrecked in Pentapolis, where he fights for and wins a princess named Thaisa. The trials and tribulations of this couple and their daughter Marina fill the remaining acts of «Pericles» with grief and trepidation, as well as joy and a truly heartwarming reunion. A laudable component of Shakespeare's collection of plays, «Pericles, Prince of Tyre» is a compelling story of family and struggle that resonates with readers even today.

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One of only seven surviving plays written by the great Greek tragedian Sophocles, «Philoctetes» follows the life of a unique and important man through his trials and triumphs. The only man willing to light the funeral pyre of Hercules, Philoctetes is awarded his bow in repayment. Later, as he leaves to fight in the Trojan War, Philoctetes is bitten on the foot by a snake and left behind on the desert island of Lemnos by Odysseus. When the gods reveal the Greeks' need of Philoctetes and his bow, however, Odysseus employs the honest Neoptolemus to deceive Philoctetes into rejoining the Trojan War. «Philoctetes» is a study of the timeless controversy that often arises between physical strength and morality in the quest for glory.

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Considered to be Shakespeare's most ornately intellectual plays, «Love's Labour's Lost» is a mental adventure in hilarity and wit. Filled with lexical puns, literary allusions, and shifting poetic forms, it is a rich example of the Bard's linguistic mastery. The play opens with King Phillip of Naverre announcing that the men of his court will devote the coming years to ascetic studies. To reduce distractions, no women will be allowed into the court. A series of hilarious events ensue. The women of the court form an alliance to gain entrance, while the men try to escape to find love. «Love's Labour's Lost» shows eros at its most bewildering and beguiling.

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This comprehensive anthology provides every single one of Shakespeare's tragedy plays, from the earliest «Titus Andronicus» to «Coriolanus.» Follow one of the greatest love stories ever told in perhaps his most widely known play, «Romeo and Juliet.» In this classic tale, the two young lovers are members of feuding families, but they believe that their love transcends their families' hate. In «Othello,» a Moorish general in the Venetian army is destroyed because of the jealousy and envy that his ensign Iago holds for the distinguished Othello. «Antony and Cleopatra» is a love story about the two real-life lovers Mark Antony of Rome and Queen Cleopatra of Egypt. It is a story of jealousy, power, and death as the two lovers must deal with political unrest amidst their passionate love affair. Other plays included in the collection are «Hamlet,» «Julius Caesar,» and «Macbeth.» In typical Shakespearian fashion the tragedy of these plays is underscored by the fact that in many cases it could have been avoided if not for the fatal flaws of the principal characters. «The Complete Plays (The Tragedies: Volume I of III)» reminds readers of the genius that Shakespeare had for seeing the tragic consequences that men's choices often create for themselves.

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