In 1593 and 1594, when the theatres were closed because of plague, Shakespeare published two narrative poems on sexual themes, Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece.
1593 ve 1594'te, tiyatrolar veba yüzünden kapatılınca, Shakespeare erotik temada iki öykü şiir yayımladı, Venüs ve Adonis ve Lucrece'nin Tecavüzü.