What Was Shakespeare's First Play?

What Was Shakespeare's First Play?
What Was Shakespeare's First Play?. Photo © NYPL Digital Gallery
by Lee Jamieson
Lee Jamieson has a M.A. in theater studies and is the author of numerous books. He lectured for six years on theater studies at Stratford-upon-Avon College in the U.K.
Updated September 03, 2019

Question: What Was Shakespeare's First Play?

Answer:

Shakespeare's first play was a history play called Henry VI Part II and was first performed in 1590-1591.

It is impossible to be sure of the exact order of the plays because no definitive record was made in Shakespeare’s time. We do know when most of the plays were originally printed, but this does not necessarily reveal the order in which the plays were produced.

Our list of Shakespeare plays brings together all 38 plays in the order in which they were first performed. You can also read our study guides for the Bard’s most popular plays.