# Four Tragedies

Canonical: https://www.bookquiver.com/william-shakespeare/four-tragedies/9780241726976

![Four Tragedies](https://quivercdn.com/covers/penguin-classics/william-shakespeare/four-tragedies_978-02-4172-697-6.jpg?v=2026-04-25%2008%3A14%3A00)

- Book: [Four Tragedies](https://www.bookquiver.com/william-shakespeare/four-tragedies) ([Four Tragedies.md](https://www.bookquiver.com/william-shakespeare/four-tragedies.md))
- Authors: [William Shakespeare](https://www.bookquiver.com/william-shakespeare)
- Publisher: penguin_classics
- ISBN: 978-02-4172-697-6
- Pages: 960
- Published: 2025-04-24
- Language: en_GB
- Binding: Hardcover

## Description

The theme of the great Shakespearean tragedies is a hero's fall from grace due to a fatal character flaw. Whether it is the ruthless ambition of Macbeth or the folly of Lear, the irresolution of Hamlet or the suspicion of Othello, the cause of the tragedy – even when it is the murder of a king – is trifling compared to the calamity that it unleashes. Despite their flawed natures, however, the tragic protagonists all have a nobility that emphasizes the greatness of humanity. From this paradox the audience is brought to a greater understanding of – and sympathy with – suffering. The four tragedies in this collection are accompanied by notes and an introduction to each text.