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From Hamlet to King Lear, through “the lovers of Verona” and Lady Macbeth, there are several characters created by William Shakespeare who have withstood the wear and tear of time and have become synonymous with classic literature. If you don’t already know them you probably should, and the best way is to read or watch performances of “The Bard of Avon” plays. From here we offer you a start: these are the most famous characters created by Shakespeare, and many consider the best for their psychological richness and the quality of the works in which they are protagonists.
1. Hamlet (in the play Hamlet )
The brooding prince of Denmark and grieving son of the recently deceased king: Hamlet is arguably Shakespeare’s most complex character. He is deeply contemplative, which we see in the famous ” to be or not to be ” soliloquy, and quickly descends into madness throughout the play. Thanks to the playwright’s skillful and psychologically intelligent characterization, Hamlet is often considered the greatest dramatic character ever created.
2. Macbeth (in the play Macbeth )
Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s most intense and compelling villains. However, like Hamlet, he is intriguingly complex. He is a brave and honorable soldier when he first appears, but his ambition drives him to murder, paranoia, and being manipulated by his wife, Lady Macbeth. His wickedness is highly debatable to the viewer, as he maintains guilt and doubt throughout all of his terrible actions. That is why he is one of Shakespeare’s most interesting characters.
3. Romeo (in the play Romeo and Juliet )
Without a doubt, Romeo is the most famous lover in literature; therefore it would be highly inappropriate and unfair to exclude him from this list of memorable Shakespearean characters. With that said, it’s important to remember that Romeo is much more than just a love icon. Often criticized for his immaturity, Romeo is in and out of intense love in the blink of an eye. His combination of romanticism and irrationality always comes as a surprise to new viewers or readers, who only know him from the balcony scene and from very incomplete references. It is said that the Bard developed this character based on the absurd loving behavior of a friend or family member.
4. Lady Macbeth (in the play Macbeth )
Macbeth’s Lady Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s most intense female characters. She shows much less reserve towards Macbeth’s evil deeds, and is famous for manipulating the indecisive Thane into committing murder, giving her a pivotal bearing on the events of the play. When we think of the strong women in Shakespeare, it is impossible to forget Lady Macbeth.
5. Benedick (in the play Much Ado About Nothing )
Shakespeare’s comic characters are as extraordinary and memorable as his tragic characters. Young, funny, and locked in a love-hate relationship with Beatrice, Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing is one of the playwright’s funniest creations. His melodramatic tendency tends to steal the attention of the other characters, and his rather fake rhetoric sustains an exaggerated personality. Like Much Ado About Nothing as a whole, Benedick is a charming character who is sure to make you laugh.
6. Lear (in the play King Lear )
Just as Shakespeare’s comedies are of enormous literary quality and should not be ignored, so are his historical works. Lear’s life is spent in King Lear beginning as a selfish ruler and ending as a sympathetic man. However, his evolution is not entirely linear, since the main character still maintains some of his defects at the end of the work. It is exactly that drama of his story that makes Lear one of Shakespeare’s most famous characters.
