Four Great Tragedies: Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth (Signet Classics)

The greatest tragic plays of William Shakespeare—including Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth.

What is tragedy? The Elizabethans defined it as a “lofty” play showing “personages of great state” caught up in a “lamentable” action that “beginneth prosperously and endeth unfortunately.” Whether judged by this or any other standard, the plays selected for this collection are considered to be the four central works of Shakespearean tragedy and must be included in any list of the world's finest tragic literature.