There seems to be universal agreement on Shakespeare's greatness, yet many of his plays lack any significant development of plot or character. An exceptional skill with language is evident in all his works and his running theme concerning the relationship between appearances and reality has appealed to audiences across times and cultures. But is this enough to confer greatness? More likely this status derives from a small number of his plays, the four great tragedies, which succeed in dramatising reflection on the depths of the human condition. It is this which touches the hearts and minds of his audience.