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William Shakespeare (baptised April 26, 1564, died April 23, 1616) was a English playwright and poet. He is considered the greatest writer of the English language by many and wrote 38 plays, 154 sonnets, and various other poems. Many historians believe Shakespeare wrote most of his plays and poems between the years 1586 and 1612. He was both popular during his lifetime and after his death and is one of the few playwrights who excelled in tragedy and comedy. His works have been translated into every major living language and he is the most quoted writer in the literature and history of the English-speaking world.

Shakespeare was born in Stratford-Upon-Avon and was the son of John Shakespeare, a glover and alderman, and Mary Arden, a daughter of the gentry. His exact birthdate is not known, however his date of baptism (April 26, 1564) was recorded so most historians deduce that he was born on April 23, 1564. Shakespeare attended grammar school in central Stratford and at the age of eighteen, on November 28, 1582, he married Anne Hathaway who was 26. The was some haste in arranging the marriage, presumably because Anne was pregnant. Shakespeare's first child, Susanna, was baptised on May 26, 1583 in Stratford. After two years, Shakespeare had two more children, twins Hamnet and Judith, who were baptised on February 2, 1585. However Hamnet died in 1596 and was buried on August 11, 1596. After Shakespeare was married, he did not appear in history until he became involved in the London theatre scene. The period between 1585 until 1592 is known as Shakespeare's "lost years" period because there is no historical record on when or why he left Stratford for London. Many stories have been created to account for his life during this time, however there is no evidence to support any of these theories and all of them appeared after his death in 1616.

After Shakespeare's period of "lost years," he became known as a playwright in London and by 1594, he was an actor, writer, and part owner of the Lord Chamberlain's Men, a theatrical playing company. This group took its name from Lord Chamberlain who was the group's sponsor. The group soon became reputable and after the coronation of James I in 1603, the new monarch began to sponsor the group and it's name changed to the King's Men. Shakespeare moved to the parish of St. Helen's, Bishopgate by 1596 and by 1598 he was the main actor of Every Man in His Humour by Ben Jonson. In addition, his name began to appear on his plays which meant that he would be able to sell them. In 1599, Shakespeare moved across the River Thames to Southwark and in 1604 he moved north of the river and lived with a family named Mountjoy. While residing with this family, he arranged the marriage between Mountjoy's daughter and Stephen Bellott who later sued his father in law for not giving part of the promised dowry to him. Shakespeare eventually grew rich enough while he was in London to buy property in Blackfriars, London and own the second-largest house in Stratford.

Shakespeare retired in 1613 and moved back to Stratford. Three years later, he died on April 23 at the age of 52. Many people believe that Shakespeare died on his birthday, however, only his date of baptism is known and not his true birthdate. He remained married to Anne Hathaway until he died and his two daughters, Judith and Susanna survived him. Susanna married Dr. John Hall but there are no direct descendants of Shakespeare alive today.

Shakespeare was buried in the chancel of Holy Trinity Church in Stratford and was granted this honor for purchasing a share of the tithe of the church. On the wall closest to his grave, there is a bust of Shakespeare posed in the act of writing and each year on his claimed birthday, a new quill pen is placed in the writing hand of the bust.

Although Shakespeare died, his name has never ceased to exist in the world of literature. A number of Shakespeare's plays are among the best in the English language and in Western literature. He wrote a variety of plays, tragedies, histories, comedies, and romances, all of which have been translated into every major living language. Shakespeare based many of his plays on the work of other playwrights and reworked earlier stories and historical material (common in this period of time). However, Shakespeare did write original plays, one example known as The Tempest. Shakespeare's plays fit into three stylistic groups: early romantic comedies and histories, middle period romantic comedies and tragedies, and romances. His early plays ranged from comedy to historical nostalgia whereas his middle-period plays were grander and addressed issues like murder, power, lust, and ambition and his later romances often featured plotlines with ambiguous endings and the incorporation of fantasy such as magic. Although some of his plays were published in a series of quartos, most remained unpublished until 1623. The exact chronology of his plays is unknown and oftentimes Shakespeare had created several different versions of the same play.

Shakespeare's sonnets are a collection of 154 poems that involve themes of love, beauty, and mortality. They were written over a number of years, beginning in the early 1590s. However, the conditions under which the sonnets were published are unclear and there are many theories questioning whether Shakespeare wrote the sonnets or not. In additon to writing sonnets, Shakespeare also wrote three longer poems: Venus and Adonis, The Rape of Lucrece, and A Lover's Complaint. It is believed that these poems were written in order to win the patronage of a wealthy benefactor.

Shakespeare's works have been a major influence on theatre because he transformed it by expanding expectations about what could be accomplished through characteriziation, plot, action, language, and genre. His poetic artistry helped raise the status of popular theatre, permitting it to be admired by all types of people. Shakespeare helped take theatre to a new level, creating plays that resonated on an emotional level and also debated the basic elements of what it means to be human.

Shakespeare's reputation as a writer has continued to grow and develop as the years pass and his plays, sonnets, and poems continue to be used in theatre and classes all over the world. His influence had a profound effect on literature and the English language and he remains one of the greatest writers in classic literature.