Abstract: As a research perspective or a research method, cultural criticism is not the study of cultural noumenon, but a macro examination and exploration of literary works from the perspective of history and culture. It will be beneficial to enrich and condense the existing research results to make reasonable use of Shakespeare’s plays. Shakespeare’s dramas can be divided into three periods: the early period, the middle period and the late period. This paper summarizes the works of different periods of Shakespeare’s creation, and makes an in-depth analysis of their creation style, background and characteristics. The research shows that the themes of Shakespeare’s early works are bright and optimistic, while those of the middle period mainly negative and the later dramas romantic and illusory respectively.

Key words: Shakespeare, critical culture, bright and optimistic, gloomy and indignant, romantic and illusory