The United Kingdom（Period 3　Reading and Writing）

shakespeare also wrote several comedies during these years, including all’s well that ends well (1601-1603); twelfth night��(1601-1602);  and measure for measure��(1604). all’s well that ends well and measure for measure have both been tagged as problem plays.the first comedy ends abruptly with bertram’s sudden acceptance of his wife helena, whom he had essentially abandoned earlier in the play.in measure for measure, deception plays a central role in the play’s action;  this includes the deception perpetuated by a character depicted�� as a paragon of virtue, isabella. twelfth night is typically seen as one of shakespeare’s more mature comedies.like other comedies, it features some disguise and role-playing, such as that of one the central figures, viola, who disguises herself as the page cesario.the play also concerns gender roles and class differences.in this period shakespeare also produced greek and roman dramas, including troilus and cressida(1601-1602); antony and cleopatra (1605-1607);  coriolanus (1607-1608);  and timon of athens(1607-1608). troilus and cressida, a greek drama, emphasizes the differences between the ideal and the real by portraying legendary greek figures as people with less-than-admirable qualities. antony and cleopatra is the story of the love and passion between the famous roman general and the sensuous, legendary egyptian queen. coriolanus is a roman political tragedy dealing with issues of character and pride.feelings of bitterness and disillusionment permeate the greek drama, timon of athens.shakespeare also wrote pericles, prince of tyre probably between 1607 and 1608. pericles is an adventurous tale of a prince who suffers the loss of his wife and daughter, but is, in the end, reunited with his family. pericles is thought by some scholars to have been a collaborative effort.after 1608 shakespeare’s dramatic production lessened somewhat.the globe theater burned down, but was rebuilt a year later on the opposite bank of the thames river.during these years, shakespeare wrote romantic tragicomedies (that is, romances featuring elements of both tragedy and comedy).the romantic tragicomedies include cymbeline(1609-1610); the winter’s tale(1610-1611);  and the tempest��(1610-1611), cymbeline and the winter’s tale are both stories of loss and pain, but, like pericles, they end with a happy reunion. the tempest features the same elements of loss and reunion, but it also emphasizes the balance of wisdom and power that prospero achieves at the play’s end.it has been noted that the tempest was probably the last play shakespeare wrote on his own, and that the character of prospero, as one who manipulates events, stages masques, and directs the actions of other characters, represents shakespeare the playwright and his farewell to the theater.during this later period, shakespeare also wrote two plays that most scholars believe were composed in collaboration with the dramatist john fletcher: henry ⅷ(1612-1613), a historical drama, and the two noble kinsmen (1613), the story of the love two men have for the same woman.it is also believed that shakespeare wrote another play around�� 1612 or 1613, cardenio, but it has been completely lost.