Dating Shakespeare's Plays

Dating Shakespeare's "King Lear" Through Textual Evidence and Scholarly Analysis

The dating of William Shakespeare's tragedy "King Lear" is a subject of scholarly inquiry that relies on textual evidence and historical context. The play is believed to have been written between 1603 and 1606, with its first recorded performance on December 26, 1606. The use of Samuel Harsnett's "Declaration of Egregious Popish Impostures," published in 1603, provides a terminus a quo (earliest possible date) for the play's composition. Scholar Gary Taylor has proposed that Shakespeare may have been influenced by works from early 1605, suggesting a slightly later start to the writing process. References to eclipses within the play correspond to actual astronomical events in September and October 1605, which could indicate a composition date close to these occurrences. The publication of "The True Chronicle History of King Leir" in 1605, a play that Shakespeare's "King Lear" is based on, suggests that Shakespeare's version was already known and possibly performed by that time. The case of Brian Annesley, which parallels the "Lear" narrative and dates to 1603, provides further context for the play's creation. Stylistic analysis, comparing "King Lear" to Shakespeare's other works, places it chronologically between "Othello" and "Macbeth," and in close proximity to "Timon of Athens."

The Complex Attribution and Dating of "Timon of Athens"

The dating and authorship of Shakespeare's "Timon of Athens" are complex due to the play's irregular structure and the potential involvement of Thomas Middleton. The play is first mentioned in the Stationers' Register in 1623, as part of the preparations for the publication of the "First Folio," and the earliest known performance occurred in 1674. The absence of act divisions, which became standard after 1608, suggests an earlier composition date. Allusions to the Gunpowder Plot of November 1605 and a pamphlet from June 1605 indicate a composition date between late 1605 and 1608. Metrical and stylistic analyses link "Timon" to Shakespeare's works from around 1605–1606. The nature of Middleton's contribution, whether as a co-author or later reviser, is debated among scholars, but his influence is discernible in the text.

"Macbeth" and Its Connection to Historical Events and Revision Theories

"Macbeth" is one of Shakespeare's plays most closely associated with the reign of King James I, with a consensus among scholars for a composition date after James's accession to the English throne in 1603. The play's allusions to Banquo, a supposed ancestor of James, and the Gunpowder Plot suggest a date of composition around 1606. Simon Forman's diary entry describing a performance he attended in 1611 provides a terminus ante quem (latest possible date) for the play's creation. Theories that "Macbeth" underwent later revisions, possibly by Thomas Middleton, are based on stylistic similarities with Middleton's "The Witch" and the inclusion of the character Hecate, who is absent from earlier versions of the "Macbeth" story. Stylistic analysis places "Macbeth" after "King Lear" and "Timon of Athens," but before "Antony and Cleopatra" in Shakespeare's body of work.

Establishing the Chronology of "Antony and Cleopatra"

The tragedy "Antony and Cleopatra" was registered in May 1608, suggesting it was written by or before this date. Samuel Daniel's "The Tragedie of Cleopatra," which appears to have been influenced by Shakespeare's play, was published in a revised form in 1607, indicating that "Antony and Cleopatra" was likely composed before this revision. Additionally, Barnabe Barnes's play "The Devil's Charter," performed in February 1607, contains references to "Antony and Cleopatra," further supporting a composition date of 1606. The play's stylistic features are consistent with this period, and its registration in the Stationers' Register corroborates the proposed timeline. "Antony and Cleopatra" is thus placed between "Macbeth" and "Pericles, Prince of Tyre" in the chronology of Shakespeare's works.

The Dating and Publication of "Pericles, Prince of Tyre"

"Pericles, Prince of Tyre" is another play with a complex publication history. It was registered for publication in May 1608 and appeared in quarto in 1609. A Venetian ambassador's account of a performance between January and June 1608 provides evidence for its composition date. The earliest known performance at Gouthwaite Hall in February 1610 confirms the play's existence by this date. "Pericles" was not included in the first two Folios of Shakespeare's works but was added to the second impression of the "Third Folio" in 1664, reflecting its ambiguous status in the Shakespearean canon. Based on its registration and performance history, "Pericles" is dated after "Antony and Cleopatra," likely composed around 1607–1608.