Quick answerWilliam Shakespeare (1564–1616) was an English writer. William Shakespeare is best known for Hamlet, Macbeth and King Lear, Romeo and Juliet, 154 sonnets, The Globe Theatre and Shaping the English language. Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. His plays shaped the English language itself, adding words still in everyday use.
William Shakespeare (1564–1616) was an English playwright and poet whose plays and sonnets have been performed, read and quoted more than those of any other writer in English. From Hamlet and Macbeth to Romeo and Juliet, his work shaped the language itself, adding words and phrases still in everyday use.
Key facts
| Born | 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England |
|---|---|
| Died | 1616 |
| Nationality | English |
| Field | Literature |
| Known for | Hamlet, Macbeth and King Lear, Romeo and Juliet, 154 sonnets, The Globe Theatre, Shaping the English language |
Overview
Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, the son of a glove-maker who became a town official. He was probably educated at the local grammar school, married Anne Hathaway at eighteen, and by the early 1590s was working in London as an actor and playwright. Within a few years he was writing the histories and comedies that made his company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, the most successful in England. He wrote about 38 plays in all, and his company performed before Queen Elizabeth I and, later, King James I.
His plays range from the great tragedies, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth, to the late romances, and his 154 sonnets are among the finest poems in English. He was also a businessman, a shareholder in the Globe Theatre, and he retired to Stratford a wealthy man. The First Folio, published by his friends in 1623, preserved 18 plays that might otherwise have been lost, including Macbeth and The Tempest. He died in 1616, probably on his fifty-second birthday, and was buried in Holy Trinity Church, where he had been baptised.
Frequently asked questions
When was William Shakespeare born?
Shakespeare was baptised on 26 April 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, and his exact date of birth was never recorded. Tradition puts it on 23 April, St George's Day, which is also the date he died in 1616, but that is an inference, not a fact in the parish register.
What did William Shakespeare write?
Shakespeare wrote about 38 plays, including Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, King Lear, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Tempest, plus 154 sonnets and two long poems. His plays are still performed more often than those of any other playwright in the world.
How did William Shakespeare die?
Shakespeare died in Stratford-upon-Avon on 23 April 1616, aged 52, and was buried in Holy Trinity Church two days later. The cause of his death is not recorded, and no contemporary account of his final illness survives, so later claims about it are guesswork.
Where was William Shakespeare born?
Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, a market town in Warwickshire, England. His father's house on Henley Street, now known as Shakespeare's Birthplace, is traditionally shown as the house where he was born, though the record only proves his family lived there.
What is William Shakespeare famous for?
Shakespeare is famous as the greatest writer in the English language, author of plays and sonnets that are performed and studied around the world. He invented or popularised hundreds of English words, and his lines, from 'To be, or not to be' to 'All the world's a stage', are quoted everywhere.
Quotes by William Shakespeare
- “All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely …”
- “Brevity is the soul of wit.”
- “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, …”
- “To be, or not to be, that is the question.”
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Sources & last updated
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.