Claim: Macbeth is the first Shakespearean tragedy.
Evidence: Macbeth -LRB- -LSB- məkˈbɛθ -RSB- full title The Tragedy of Macbeth -RRB- is a tragedy by William Shakespeare ; it is thought to have been first performed in 1606.
It is thought to be Shakespeare 's first tragedy , and is often seen as his attempt to emulate the violent and bloody revenge plays of his contemporaries , which were extremely popular with audiences throughout the 16th century.