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.