Playwright, Poet & Actor · English · b. April 1564 · d. April 23, 1616
William Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the 'Bard of Avon.' His extant works, including collaborations, consist of some 39 plays, 154 sonnets, three long narrative poems and a few other verses. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. At 18 he married Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children. Sometime between 1585 and 1592 he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer and part-owner of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men. His writing fused the conventions of English Renaissance drama with an unprecedented psychological depth, transforming character into a vehicle for self-examination.
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