Dickens & Rumi

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Shakespeare's First Folio (35 plays)

William Shakespeare · 2000

Explore the age guidance, content cautions, positive qualities, and supporting notes for Shakespeare's First Folio (35 plays) by William Shakespeare. This book is content notes include Death of a character, Frightening scenes, Romance; positive qualities include Creativity & curiosity, Educational value.

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At a glance

Recommended ageNot listed

Strongest cautions

  • Death of a character5/5
  • Frightening scenes4/5
  • Romance4/5

Strongest positives

  • Creativity & curiosity5/5
  • Educational value5/5
  • Courage & resilience4/5

What’s in it?

Death of a character5/5
Why this rating?

Death is central to many tragedies and histories, including murder, execution, suicide, battlefield deaths, and grief over loved ones.

Graphic injury2/5
Why this rating?

Wounds, killings, mutilation, and execution are often described or staged, but graphic anatomical detail is generally limited.

Strong language4/5
Why this rating?

The language is frequently insulting, bawdy, crude, and sexually suggestive, though it differs from modern profanity.

LGBTQIA characters1/5
Why this rating?

Some plays support queer readings or gender and same-sex desire themes, but explicit LGBTQIA representation is not generally central.

Religious themes2/5
Why this rating?

Christian references, prayer, sin, providence, religious ceremony, and supernatural beliefs recur, especially in histories and tragedies.

Romance4/5
Why this rating?

Courtship, love, jealousy, marriage, seduction, and romantic conflict are central to many comedies, tragedies, and romances.

Frightening scenes4/5
Why this rating?

Several plays feature ghosts, witches, curses, madness, threatening situations, and suspenseful danger. Some scenes are intense and disturbing, though not every play is scary.

Sexual content & nudity3/5
Why this rating?

Sexual innuendo, seduction, prostitution references, infidelity, coercive situations, and discussions of chastity appear across multiple plays.

Alcohol or drugs2/5
Why this rating?

Alcohol, drunkenness, poison, and occasional drug-like or intoxicating substances appear, usually as plot devices or social behavior.

Violence4/5
Why this rating?

Frequent fighting, warfare, duels, murder, assault, and threats occur across the tragedies and histories; intensity varies by play.

What’s good in it?

Courage & resilience4/5
Why this rating?

Characters repeatedly face war, political danger, injustice, grief, and supernatural threats; courage may be noble, reckless, or morally compromised.

Creativity & curiosity5/5
Why this rating?

Remains a pinnacle of linguistic, dramatic, and creative achievement.

Diverse representation2/5
Why this rating?

The plays include varied national, social, ethnic, gender, age, and class perspectives, though some portrayals reflect historical stereotypes and limitations.

Educational value5/5
Why this rating?

Essential reading for history, literature, and the development of the English language.

Kindness & empathy3/5
Why this rating?

Compassion, friendship, forgiveness, and generosity appear, but they coexist with cruelty, exploitation, prejudice, and tragic failures of empathy.

Positive messages4/5
Why this rating?

Recurring themes include consequences of pride, betrayal, prejudice, ambition, jealousy, abuse of power, loyalty, mercy, and reconciliation.

Good role models3/5
Why this rating?

Some characters show courage, loyalty, compassion, and integrity, while others model manipulation, cruelty, prejudice, or destructive ambition.

Family discussion

Talk about it

Conversation starters based on this title’s published content notes.

  1. What was the most imaginative idea in the story, and what would you add to it?
  2. How did the story approach death or loss? What helped the characters cope?
  3. Which choice in Shakespeare's First Folio (35 plays) would you have made differently, and why?
  4. Who changed the most in Shakespeare's First Folio (35 plays), and what caused that change?
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