To Thine Own Hamlet Be True

It is hard to say with confidence which William Shakespeare play was most popular during his lifetime, but it may have been Henry IV, Part 1, which was published more than any other, followed by Richard III. During the Shakespeare revival in the 18th century, it was probably Henry VI, also Part 1, followed once again by Richard III and Romeo and Juliet, which took the 1748-49 season by storm. Today it is probably Hamlet, with MacBeth, Romeo and Juliet, and Julius Caesar fighting it out for second.