William Shakespeare
![]() | William Shakespeare (April 26, 1564 – April 23, 1616) was an English playwright and poet widely considered as the world’s greatest dramatist and the greatest writer in the English language. He produced 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two narrative poems and other verse, most between the years 1589 and 1613. His earlier works consist mostly of comedies and histories, considered as some of the best work ever done in these genres. He turned to tragedies from until about 1608, producing Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth in this phase, considered the finest works in English. His last phase brought us the tragicomedies and romances such as The Winter’s Tale and The Tempest. All but two of his plays were collected in the First Folio in 1623. Little is known of his personal life apart from his marriage to Anne Hathaway at age 18, his three children, and his work as an actor and part owner of the King’s Men theatre company in addition to his writing. The paucity of information has led to speculation about his appearance, beliefs, sexuality, and even the authenticity of his works. He retired to Stratford in 1613 and died three years later. |
A Midsummer Night's Dream
As Theseus, Duke of Athens, is arranging festivities to celebrate his wedding to Hippolyte, Queen of..
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Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is the quintessential tragic romance and its title characters are the model for sta..
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The Sonnets of William Shakespeare
"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? / Thou art more lovely and more temperate..." These lines f..
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The Tempest
Neither tragedy nor comedy, but a romance, The Tempest (1610-11) is believed to be the last play wri..
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The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, usually referred to as Hamlet, is a tragedy by Willi..
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The Tragedy of King Lear
The Tragedy of King Lear depicts the descent of the title character into madness after retiring from..
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The Tragedy of Macbeth
The Tragedy of Macbeth dramatizes the consequences of the naked lust for power and political positio..
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