William Shakespeare (c. 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet, and actor, widely regarded as the most influential writer in the English language. Born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, he married Anne Hathaway at 18 and had three children. By the late 1580s, he had launched a career in London as an actor, writer, and part-owner of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men (later the King’s Men). His known works, produced between 1589 and 1613, include about 39 plays, 154 sonnets, and three narrative poems. He is best known for his tragedies—*Hamlet*, *Othello*, *King Lear*, and *Macbeth*—as well as early comedies and histories, and later tragicomedies such as *The Winter’s Tale* and *The Tempest*. In 1623, fellow actors John Heminges and Henry Condell published the First Folio, a collected edition of 36 plays that preserved his legacy. Shakespeare’s works have been translated into every major language and remain the most performed of any playwright. He retired to Stratford around 1613 and died three years later. His private life is poorly documented, fueling speculation about his appearance, beliefs, and authorship theories. His influence on literature and drama is unparalleled, and his plays continue to be studied and reinterpreted worldwide.
