William Shakespeare author page

William Shakespeare biography

William Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet, and actor. He is widely regarded as one of the most significant writers in the English language. Shakespeare’s works include 39 plays, 154 sonnets, and two long narrative poems. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.

Shakespeare’s earliest known works include the comedies The Comedy of Errors and The Taming of the Shrew, both believed to have been written in the early 1590s. His tragedies, such as Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth, are among his most famous and have had a profound influence on literature and theatre. His histories, including Richard III and Henry V, explore the lives of English monarchs.

Shakespeare’s poetry includes the collection Sonnets, first published in 1609. His narrative poems, Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece, were published in the 1590s. Many of his plays were published in quarto editions during his lifetime. In 1623, seven years after his death, his collected plays were published as the First Folio, a significant milestone in English literature.

Shakespeare’s works have received numerous accolades and continue to be studied and performed worldwide. The First Folio is considered one of the most important publications in the history of English literature.