William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare (c. 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist [2]. Born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, he married Anne Hathaway at the age of 18, and the couple had three children: Susanna and twins Hamnet and Judith [4]. Sometime between 1585 and 1592 he moved to London, where he pursued a successful career as an actor, writer, and part-owner of the Lord Chamberlain's Men, a playing company later known as the King's Men following the accession of King James VI of Scotland to the English throne [4].

His surviving works, including collaborations, comprise some 39 plays, 154 sonnets, three long narrative poems, and a number of other verses [2]. These works span genres including comedy, tragedy, and narrative poetry [11], and his plays have been translated into every major living language, performed more frequently than those of any other playwright [2]. Shakespeare retired to Stratford around 1613 and died there three years later [4]. Few records of his private life survive, a circumstance that has prompted ongoing scholarly and public speculation about his biography and authorship [7].

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