William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet, and actor born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564.

William Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet, and actor born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564. He is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the English language, with works that include around 39 plays and 154 sonnets. His plays are performed more often than those of any other playwright and remain central to English-language literature and theatre.

Life

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564 and was baptised on 26 April; his birthday is traditionally celebrated on 23 April. He died in Stratford-upon-Avon on 23 April 1616.

Works

Shakespeare’s corpus includes around 39 plays and 154 sonnets, with the exact count depending on whether collaborations and disputed works are included. His plays are commonly associated with comedies, histories, and tragedies, though classification varies by edition and scholarship. His best-known tragedies include Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth.

Legacy

Shakespeare’s plays are performed more often than those of any other playwright and remain central to English-language literature and theatre. He is often described as the most influential writer in the English language.

Commonly studied plays and sonnets

His most widely known works include Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, King Lear, and Othello, while Sonnet 18 is among the best-known sonnets associated with him.