 William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon“. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.

 He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564, probably on April 23.  His father was a glover by trade and his mother came from a prosperous local family.  Shakespeare attended Stratford grammar school, but he did not go on to study at university. When he was eighteen, he married Anne Hathaway, who bore him three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith.  He retired to his hometown in 1600, where he died on April 23, 1616.

 He went to London where he did many jobs, including holding theatre-goers’ horses outside playhouses. He became an actor, and by 1952 he joined an important company of actors called The Lord Chamberlain’s Men and performed at court. His success as a dramatist grew. He mixed in high social circles.

 Shakespeare produced most of his known work between 1589 and His early plays were mainly comedies and histories. He then wrote mainly tragedies until about 1608, including Romeo and Juliet, Othello, Hamlet, King Lear, and Macbeth, considered some of the finest works in the English language. In his last phase, he wrote tragicomedies, also known as romances, and collaborated with other playwrights.

 Comedies:  All's Well That Ends Well‡ All's Well That Ends Well  As You Like It As You Like It  The Comedy of Errors The Comedy of Errors  Love's Labour's Lost Love's Labour's Lost  Measure for Measure Measure for Measure  The Merchant of Venice The Merchant of Venice  The Merry Wives of Windsor The Merry Wives of Windsor  A Midsummer Night's Dream A Midsummer Night's Dream  Much Ado About Nothing Much Ado About Nothing  Pericles, Prince of Tyre Pericles, Prince of Tyre  The Taming of the Shrew The Taming of the Shrew  The Tempest The Tempest  Twelfth Night Twelfth Night  The Two Gentlemen of Verona The Two Gentlemen of Verona  The Two Noble Kinsmen The Two Noble Kinsmen  The Winter's Tale* The Winter's Tale  Histories:  King John King John  Richard II Richard II  Henry IV, part 1 Henry IV, part 1  Henry IV, part 2 Henry IV, part 2  Henry V Henry V  Henry VI, part 1 Henry VI, part 1  Henry VI, part 2 Henry VI, part 2  Henry VI, part 3 Henry VI, part 3  Richard III Richard III  Henry VIII† Henry VIII  Tragedies:  Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet  Coriolanus Coriolanus  Titus Andronicus Titus Andronicus  Timon of Athens Timon of Athens  Julius Caesar Julius Caesar  Macbeth Macbeth  Hamlet Hamlet  Troilus and Cressida Troilus and Cressida  King Lear King Lear  Othello Othello  Antony and Cleopatra Antony and Cleopatra  Cymbeline Cymbeline  Poems:  Shakespeare's Sonnets Shakespeare's Sonnets  Venus and Adonis Venus and Adonis  The Rape of Lucrece The Rape of Lucrece  The Passionate Pilgrim [e] The Passionate Pilgrim [e]  The Phoenix and the Turtle The Phoenix and the Turtle  A Lover's Complaint A Lover's Complaint  Lost plays:  Love's Labour's WonLove's Labour's Won  Cardenio Cardenio

 An 1870 oil painting by Ford MadoxFord Madox  Hamlet with Mel Gibson in 1990

 A majority of his works were written on such basic human themes that they will endure for all time and must not be allowed to slip into the tragic oblivion of old age.  For example, the success of Shakespeare’s works helped to set the precedent for the evolution of modern dramas and plays. He is also credited with being one of the first writers to use any modern prose in his writings.  He wrote with fluidity of thought, word, rhythm, and sound. Often a single line would have several different meanings.