The Winter's Tale

1594-1611
Shakespeare
The Winter's Tale
C-

While certainly a continuation of Shakespeare's midlife slump, this is a definite improvement over the somewhat similar Pericles (a king's wife and daughter disappear for about fifteen years, presumed dead), even if Leontes is a jealous idiot for half the play.  Credit goes to the comic relief:  Autolycus the pedlar, the Shepherd, and the latter's son the Clown.  Also, things aren't quite so far-fetched and there's a lot less distasteful material.  And, yes, this is the play that J. K. Rowling took Hermione Granger's first name from, as well as being the drama with the wonderful stage direction "Exit, pursued by a bear."  Plus, there's a certain d-word that will make you blink in surprise in Act IV, scene iv.