Author · United Kingdom · 1564–1616
William Shakespeare
Electric language and living characters; forms that still teach rhythm, wit, and range.
William Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's greatest dramatist. He is often called England's national poet.
He was born on April 26, 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. His father was a successful local merchant and his mother the daughter of a landowner.
Shakespeare wrote approximately 38 dramas and 154 sonnets, as well as numerous poems. His plays cover a wide range of genres, from comedy to tragedy, and deal with such diverse themes as love, death, betrayal, madness and power.
William Shakespeare's literature is characterized by the use of rich and evocative language, as well as by the exploration of universal themes such as love, death, betrayal and power.
Shakespeare died on April 23, 1616, at the age of 52. His remains are buried in the church of the Holy Trinity in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Shakespeare that works in 2026
The plays test ambition, loyalty, care, and rule with lines that lodge in memory. Performance invites debate rather than doctrine, so meaning is made with others. In a feed of clips he proves that sound carries thought. Read him to train attention, memory, and courage while language does serious play.
