William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's foremost dramatist. Born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, he worked for most of his career in London with the theatrical company known as the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later the King's Men. His surviving work comprises about 39 plays, 154 sonnets and several long narrative poems, spanning tragedies such as Hamlet and King Lear, comedies, and history plays on English kings. His plays have been translated into every major living language and remain the most performed of any playwright, continuing to shape the English language and Western drama centuries after his death.