William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was an English playwright, poet, and actor widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the English language and one of the most important figures in world literature. He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, and was baptized on April 26, 1564. His father, John Shakespeare, was a successful glovemaker and alderman, while his mother, Mary Arden, came from a wealthy family.

Shakespeare likely attended the local grammar school in Stratford, where he would have received a solid education in Latin grammar and literature. He married Anne Hathaway in 1582, when he was 18 years old and she was 26. They had three children together, including a son named Hamnet who died at the age of 11.

Shakespeare moved to London in the late 1580s and began working as an actor and playwright. He wrote plays for several different companies, including the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, which later became the King’s Men when James I took the throne. His plays were incredibly popular during his lifetime, and he became wealthy and famous as a result.

Some of Shakespeare’s most famous plays include Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, King Lear, and Julius Caesar. He also wrote many sonnets, which were published in a collection in 1609.

Shakespeare retired to Stratford in the early 1600s, where he lived until his death in 1616. He is buried in the chancel of Holy Trinity Church in Stratford. Shakespeare’s works have been translated into every major language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. He has had an enormous influence on English literature and language, and his plays continue to be studied and performed around the world.