Stage Pages
Reading list · 50 plays

Fifty Greatest Tragedies in the Repertoire

A working list of the tragic plays that drama schools, repertory companies, and university dramatic societies actually program — not because of fashion, but because the scripts hold up to repeated rehearsal-room interrogation. The titles here have survived their first productions, their first revivals, and the second-generation revisionist readings that follow every classic eventually.

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  1. Plays of Sophocles: Oedipus the King; Oedipus at Colonus; Antigone

    by Sophocles · 407 BCE · Tragedy

    Sophocles's Plays of Sophocles: Oedipus the King; Oedipus at Colonus; Antigone (first published -407) is a script directors return to whenever they want a vehicle that combines language of real beauty with characters actors actually fight to play.

  2. Philoktetes

    by Sophocles · 407 BCE · Tragedy

    Written by Sophocles (first published -407), Philoktetes stands as one of the durable works of Greek Antiquity, regularly revived for its richly playable scenes and theatrically generous structure.

  3. The Duchess of Padua

    by Oscar Wilde · 1900 · Tragedy

    The Duchess of Padua (first published 1900) is a stage play by Oscar Wilde, a touchstone of the Realism & Naturalism repertoire that has been performed continuously for generations.

  4. The Jew of Malta

    by Christopher Marlowe · 1593 · Tragedy

    The Jew of Malta (first published 1593) is a stage play by Christopher Marlowe, a touchstone of the Renaissance & Elizabethan repertoire that has been performed continuously for generations.

  5. Tamburlaine the Great — Part 1

    by Christopher Marlowe · 1593 · Tragedy

    Christopher Marlowe's Tamburlaine the Great — Part 1 (first published 1593) is a script directors return to whenever they want a vehicle that combines language of real beauty with characters actors actually fight to play.

  6. King Richard III

    by William Shakespeare · 1616 · Tragedy

    William Shakespeare's King Richard III (first published 1616) is a script directors return to whenever they want a vehicle that combines language of real beauty with characters actors actually fight to play.

  7. Titus Andronicus

    by William Shakespeare · 1616 · Tragedy

    William Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus (first published 1616) is a script directors return to whenever they want a vehicle that combines language of real beauty with characters actors actually fight to play.

  8. King Richard II

    by William Shakespeare · 1616 · Tragedy

    William Shakespeare's King Richard II (first published 1616) is a script directors return to whenever they want a vehicle that combines language of real beauty with characters actors actually fight to play.

  9. Julius Caesar

    by William Shakespeare · 1616 · Tragedy

    Written by William Shakespeare (first published 1616), Julius Caesar stands as one of the durable works of Renaissance & Elizabethan, regularly revived for its richly playable scenes and theatrically generous structure.

  10. Hamlet

    by William Shakespeare · 1616 · Tragedy

    William Shakespeare's Hamlet (first published 1616) is a script directors return to whenever they want a vehicle that combines language of real beauty with characters actors actually fight to play.

  11. Othello

    by William Shakespeare · 1616 · Tragedy

    William Shakespeare's Othello (first published 1616) is a script directors return to whenever they want a vehicle that combines language of real beauty with characters actors actually fight to play.

  12. King Lear

    by William Shakespeare · 1616 · Tragedy

    A defining work of Renaissance & Elizabethan, King Lear by William Shakespeare (first published 1616) continues to attract directors, dramaturgs, and student companies looking for material that rewards close reading and bold staging.

  13. The Tragedy of Macbeth

    by William Shakespeare · 1616 · Tragedy

    William Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Macbeth (first published 1616) is a script directors return to whenever they want a vehicle that combines language of real beauty with characters actors actually fight to play.

  14. Antony and Cleopatra

    by William Shakespeare · 1616 · Tragedy

    Antony and Cleopatra (first published 1616) is a stage play by William Shakespeare, a touchstone of the Renaissance & Elizabethan repertoire that has been performed continuously for generations.

  15. Coriolanus

    by William Shakespeare · 1616 · Tragedy

    William Shakespeare's Coriolanus (first published 1616) is a script directors return to whenever they want a vehicle that combines language of real beauty with characters actors actually fight to play.

  16. Timon of Athens

    by William Shakespeare · 1616 · Tragedy

    A defining work of Renaissance & Elizabethan, Timon of Athens by William Shakespeare (first published 1616) continues to attract directors, dramaturgs, and student companies looking for material that rewards close reading and bold staging.

  17. A Florentine Tragedy; La Sainte Courtisane

    by Oscar Wilde · 1900 · Tragedy

    A Florentine Tragedy; La Sainte Courtisane (first published 1900) is a stage play by Oscar Wilde, a touchstone of the Realism & Naturalism repertoire that has been performed continuously for generations.

  18. Massacre at Paris

    by Christopher Marlowe · 1593 · Tragedy

    Massacre at Paris (first published 1593) is a stage play by Christopher Marlowe, a touchstone of the Renaissance & Elizabethan repertoire that has been performed continuously for generations.

  19. Macbeth

    by William Shakespeare · 1616 · Tragedy

    A defining work of Renaissance & Elizabethan, Macbeth by William Shakespeare (first published 1616) continues to attract directors, dramaturgs, and student companies looking for material that rewards close reading and bold staging.

  20. Locrine

    by William Shakespeare · 1616 · Tragedy

    A defining work of Renaissance & Elizabethan, Locrine by William Shakespeare (first published 1616) continues to attract directors, dramaturgs, and student companies looking for material that rewards close reading and bold staging.

  21. Tamburlaine the Great — Part 2

    by Christopher Marlowe · 1593 · Tragedy

    Tamburlaine the Great — Part 2 (first published 1593) is a stage play by Christopher Marlowe, a touchstone of the Renaissance & Elizabethan repertoire that has been performed continuously for generations.

  22. Egmont

    by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe · 1832 · Tragedy

    Written by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (first published 1832), Egmont stands as one of the durable works of Restoration & Neoclassical, regularly revived for its richly playable scenes and theatrically generous structure.

  23. Phaedra

    by Jean Racine · 1699 · Tragedy

    Written by Jean Racine (first published 1699), Phaedra stands as one of the durable works of Renaissance & Elizabethan, regularly revived for its richly playable scenes and theatrically generous structure.

  24. Ghosts: A Domestic Tragedy in Three Acts

    by Henrik Ibsen · 1906 · Tragedy

    Ghosts: A Domestic Tragedy in Three Acts (first published 1906) is a stage play by Henrik Ibsen, a touchstone of the Romantic Drama repertoire that has been performed continuously for generations.

  25. Polyeucte

    by Pierre Corneille · 1684 · Tragedy

    A defining work of Renaissance & Elizabethan, Polyeucte by Pierre Corneille (first published 1684) continues to attract directors, dramaturgs, and student companies looking for material that rewards close reading and bold staging.

  26. A Yorkshire Tragedy

    by William Shakespeare · 1616 · Tragedy

    A defining work of Renaissance & Elizabethan, A Yorkshire Tragedy by William Shakespeare (first published 1616) continues to attract directors, dramaturgs, and student companies looking for material that rewards close reading and bold staging.

  27. The Iphigenia in Tauris of Euripides

    by Euripides · 407 BCE · Tragedy

    The Iphigenia in Tauris of Euripides (first published -407) is a stage play by Euripides, a touchstone of the Greek Antiquity repertoire that has been performed continuously for generations.

  28. Sejanus: His Fall

    by Ben Jonson · 1637 · Tragedy

    Sejanus: His Fall (first published 1637) is a stage play by Ben Jonson, a touchstone of the Renaissance & Elizabethan repertoire that has been performed continuously for generations.

  29. The Robbers

    by Friedrich Schiller · 1805 · Tragedy

    The Robbers (first published 1805) is a stage play by Friedrich Schiller, a touchstone of the Restoration & Neoclassical repertoire that has been performed continuously for generations.

  30. Fiesco; or, the Genoese Conspiracy: A Tragedy

    by Friedrich Schiller · 1805 · Tragedy

    Fiesco; or, the Genoese Conspiracy: A Tragedy (first published 1805) is a stage play by Friedrich Schiller, a touchstone of the Restoration & Neoclassical repertoire that has been performed continuously for generations.

  31. Love and Intrigue: A Tragedy

    by Friedrich Schiller · 1805 · Tragedy

    A defining work of Restoration & Neoclassical, Love and Intrigue: A Tragedy by Friedrich Schiller (first published 1805) continues to attract directors, dramaturgs, and student companies looking for material that rewards close reading and bold staging.

  32. Mary Stuart: A Tragedy

    by Friedrich Schiller · 1805 · Tragedy

    A defining work of Restoration & Neoclassical, Mary Stuart: A Tragedy by Friedrich Schiller (first published 1805) continues to attract directors, dramaturgs, and student companies looking for material that rewards close reading and bold staging.

  33. The Maid of Orleans: A Tragedy

    by Friedrich Schiller · 1805 · Tragedy

    A defining work of Restoration & Neoclassical, The Maid of Orleans: A Tragedy by Friedrich Schiller (first published 1805) continues to attract directors, dramaturgs, and student companies looking for material that rewards close reading and bold staging.

  34. The Bride of Messina, and On the Use of the Chorus in Tragedy

    by Friedrich Schiller · 1805 · Tragedy

    Friedrich Schiller's The Bride of Messina, and On the Use of the Chorus in Tragedy (first published 1805) is a script directors return to whenever they want a vehicle that combines language of real beauty with characters actors…

  35. Specimens of Greek Tragedy — Aeschylus and Sophocles

    by Aeschylus · 457 BCE · Tragedy

    A defining work of Greek Antiquity, Specimens of Greek Tragedy — Aeschylus and Sophocles by Aeschylus (first published -457) continues to attract directors, dramaturgs, and student companies looking for material that rewards close reading and bold staging.

  36. Psyche

    by Molière · 1673 · Tragedy

    Written by Molière (first published 1673), Psyche stands as one of the durable works of Renaissance & Elizabethan, regularly revived for its richly playable scenes and theatrically generous structure.

  37. Ghosts

    by Henrik Ibsen · 1906 · Tragedy

    Ghosts (first published 1906) is a stage play by Henrik Ibsen, a touchstone of the Romantic Drama repertoire that has been performed continuously for generations.

  38. Hippolytus; The Bacchae

    by Euripides · 407 BCE · Tragedy

    Hippolytus; The Bacchae (first published -407) is a stage play by Euripides, a touchstone of the Greek Antiquity repertoire that has been performed continuously for generations.

  39. The House of Atreus; Being the Agamemnon, the Libation bearers, and the Furies

    by Aeschylus · 457 BCE · Tragedy

    The House of Atreus; Being the Agamemnon, the Libation bearers, and the Furies (first published -457) is a stage play by Aeschylus, a touchstone of the Greek Antiquity repertoire that has been performed continuously for generations.

  40. Hamlet The First ('Bad') Quarto

    by William Shakespeare · 1616 · Tragedy

    Hamlet The First ('Bad') Quarto (first published 1616) is a stage play by William Shakespeare, a touchstone of the Renaissance & Elizabethan repertoire that has been performed continuously for generations.

  41. The Trojan women of Euripides

    by Euripides · 407 BCE · Tragedy

    Written by Euripides (first published -407), The Trojan women of Euripides stands as one of the durable works of Greek Antiquity, regularly revived for its richly playable scenes and theatrically generous structure.

  42. Alcestis

    by Euripides · 407 BCE · Tragedy

    Euripides's Alcestis (first published -407) is a script directors return to whenever they want a vehicle that combines language of real beauty with characters actors actually fight to play.

  43. Hamlet A Study with the Text of the Folio of 1623

    by William Shakespeare · 1616 · Tragedy

    William Shakespeare's Hamlet A Study with the Text of the Folio of 1623 (first published 1616) is a script directors return to whenever they want a vehicle that combines language of real beauty with characters actors actually fight…

  44. The Electra of Euripides Translated into English rhyming verse

    by Euripides · 407 BCE · Tragedy

    Written by Euripides (first published -407), The Electra of Euripides Translated into English rhyming verse stands as one of the durable works of Greek Antiquity, regularly revived for its richly playable scenes and theatrically generous structure.

  45. The Agamemnon of Aeschylus Translated into English Rhyming Verse with Explanatory Notes

    by Aeschylus · 457 BCE · Tragedy

    Aeschylus's The Agamemnon of Aeschylus Translated into English Rhyming Verse with Explanatory Notes (first published -457) is a script directors return to whenever they want a vehicle that combines language of real beauty with characters actors actually fight…

  46. Faust: a Tragedy [part 1], Translated from the German of Goethe

    by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe · 1832 · Tragedy

    A defining work of Restoration & Neoclassical, Faust: a Tragedy [part 1], Translated from the German of Goethe by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (first published 1832) continues to attract directors, dramaturgs, and student companies looking for material that…

  47. The Seven Plays in English Verse

    by Sophocles · 407 BCE · Tragedy

    Written by Sophocles (first published -407), The Seven Plays in English Verse stands as one of the durable works of Greek Antiquity, regularly revived for its richly playable scenes and theatrically generous structure.

  48. The Cid

    by Pierre Corneille · 1684 · Tragedy

    Pierre Corneille's The Cid (first published 1684) is a script directors return to whenever they want a vehicle that combines language of real beauty with characters actors actually fight to play.

  49. The Tragedies of Euripides, Volume I.

    by Euripides · 407 BCE · Tragedy

    Written by Euripides (first published -407), The Tragedies of Euripides, Volume I. stands as one of the durable works of Greek Antiquity, regularly revived for its richly playable scenes and theatrically generous structure.

  50. Esther

    by Jean Racine · 1699 · Tragedy

    Esther (first published 1699) is a stage play by Jean Racine, a touchstone of the Renaissance & Elizabethan repertoire that has been performed continuously for generations.

How this list was put together

The selections above were drawn from the full Stage Pages archive of 520 public-domain stage plays. Where ranking is implied by the order, that ranking is editorial — defensible, but not unanimous. Where the list is alphabetical or chronological, we say so.

If you have a candidate we missed, the whole library is one click away from the main scripts index; we add titles to lists as the catalogue grows.