Portrait of William Shakespeare

Timeline

Lifetime: 1564 - 1616 Passed: ≈ 407 years ago

Title

Poet, English playwright

Country/Nationality

United Kingdom
Wikipedia

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon. The son of John Shakespeare and Mary Arden, he was probably educated at the King Edward VI Grammar School in Stratford, where he learned Latin and a little Greek and read the Roman dramatists. At eighteen, he married Anne Hathaway, a woman seven or eight years his senior. Together they raised two daughters: Susanna, who was born in 1583, and Judith (whose twin brother died in boyhood), born in 1585.

His extant works, including collaborations, consist of some 39 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and a few other verses, some of uncertain authorship. His plays have been translated into every major living language.

Shakespeare was not revered in his lifetime, but he received a large amount of praise. Around 230 years after Shakespeare's death, doubts began to be expressed about the authorship of the works attributed to him. Only a small minority of academics believe there is reason to question the traditional attribution.

Books by William Shakespeare

A Midsummer Night's Dream Cover image

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Comedy Fantasy Fiction
Marriage Play Love

A Midsummer Night's Dream is a comedy, set in Athens, one of William Shakespeare's greatest creations, filled with humor, magic, intrigue, and love.

Romeo and Juliet Cover image

Romeo and Juliet

Romance Tragedy
Love Fate Duality Time

William Shakespeare’s most well-known play is more than most people realize. While it is the story of star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet, it is also the story of two families in the middle of a bitter feud. Many people avoid the story because they...

King Lear Cover image

King Lear

Tragedy
Justice Reconciliation Nihilism Self-knowledge

Considered to be one of Shakespeare's greatest plays, the tragedy King Lear portrays some of the darkest aspects of human nature that can be found in literature. The helplessness of the human condition, as we fall prey to our destinies, the injustice...

A Personal Anthology of Shakespeare, compiled by Martin Clifton Cover image

A Personal Anthology of Shakespeare, compiled by Martin Clifton

Romance Fiction Humour
Hamlet Julius Caesar

This personal anthology is my choice of speeches from Shakespeare that I enjoy reading (that I would like to have had by heart years ago!) and that seem to me to illustrate his unsurpassed use of language. He was a man who seemed to know everything a...

The Tragedy of Macbeth Cover image

The Tragedy of Macbeth

Fiction Drama Tragedy
Blood Violence Weather Gender Predictions Equivocation England

Macbeth is a tragedy by William Shakespeare; it is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatizes the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those who seek power for its own sake. Of all the plays that Shake...

As You Like It Cover image

As You Like It

Comedy Drama
Injustice Gender True Love Forgiveness

As You Like It is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has been suggeste...

Julius Caesar Cover image

Julius Caesar

History Drama Tragedy
Murder Conspiracy

The Tragedy of Julius Caesar is a history play and tragedy by William Shakespeare first performed in 1599. Although the play is named Julius Caesar, Brutus speaks more than four times as many lines as the title character, and the central psychologica...

Othello Cover image

Othello

Tragedy
Prejudice Honor Jealousy Manhood

Othello (The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice) is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, probably written in 1603. The story revolves around two characters, Othello and Iago. Othello is a Moorish general in the Venetian army charged with the genera...

Shakespeare Monologues Collection vol. 01 Cover image

Shakespeare Monologues Collection vol. 01

Poetry Drama
Play Romance Hamlet

William Shakespeare (April 26, 1564 – April 23, 1616) remains widely to be considered the single greatest playwright of all time. He wrote in such a variety of genres - tragedy, comedy, romance, &c - that there is always at least one monologue in eac...

Shakespeare Monologues Collection vol. 02 Cover image

Shakespeare Monologues Collection vol. 02

Poetry
Play Hamlet Macbeth Soliloquy

This is the second collection of monologues from Shakespeare’s plays. Containing 15 parts. William Shakespeare (April 26, 1564 – April 23, 1616) remains widely to be considered the single greatest playwright of all time. He wrote in such a variety of...

Shakespeare Monologues Collection vol. 03 Cover image

Shakespeare Monologues Collection vol. 03

Poetry Fiction
Hamlet Macbeth Soliloquy

This is the third collection of monologues from Shakespeare's plays. Containing 20 parts. - William Shakespeare (April 26, 1564 – April 23, 1616) remains widely to be considered the single greatest playwright of all time. He wrote in such a variety o...

Shakespeare Monologues Collection vol. 04 Cover image

Shakespeare Monologues Collection vol. 04

Poetry Drama
Hamlet Macbeth Soliloquy

This is the fourth collection of monologues from Shakespeare’s plays. Containing 20 parts. William Shakespeare (April 26, 1564 – April 23, 1616) remains widely to be considered the single greatest playwright of all time. He wrote in such a variety...

Shakespeare Monologues Collection vol. 05 Cover image

Shakespeare Monologues Collection vol. 05

Fiction Drama
Play Soliloquy Romeo and Juliet

This is the fifth collection of monologues from Shakespeare’s plays. Containing 20 parts. William Shakespeare (April 26, 1564 – April 23, 1616) remains widely to be considered the single greatest playwright of all time. He wrote in such a variety o...

Shakespeare Monologues Collection vol. 06 Cover image

Shakespeare Monologues Collection vol. 06

Fiction Drama
Play Short Stories Soliloquy

This is the sixth collection of monologues from Shakespeare’s plays. Containing 20 parts. William Shakespeare (April 26, 1564 – April 23, 1616) remains widely to be considered the single greatest playwright of all time. He wrote in such a variety of...

Shakespeare Monologues Collection vol. 07 Cover image

Shakespeare Monologues Collection vol. 07

Fiction Drama
Play Short Stories Soliloquy

This is the seventh collection of monologues from Shakespeare’s plays. Containing 20 parts. William Shakespeare (April 26, 1564 – April 23, 1616) remains widely to be considered the single greatest playwright of all time. He wrote in such a variety...

Shakespeare Monologues Collection vol. 08 Cover image

Shakespeare Monologues Collection vol. 08

Poetry Fiction
Play Soliloquy

This is the eighth collection of monologues from Shakespeare’s plays. Containing 20 parts. William Shakespeare (April 26, 1564 – April 23, 1616) remains widely to be considered the single greatest playwright of all time. He wrote in such a variety of...

Shakespeare Monologues Collection vol. 09 Cover image

Shakespeare Monologues Collection vol. 09

Poetry Fiction Drama
Play Soliloquy

This is the ninth collection of monologues from Shakespeare’s plays. Containing 20 parts.

Shakespeare Monologues Collection vol. 10 (Multilingual) Cover image

Shakespeare Monologues Collection vol. 10 (Multilingual)

Poetry Drama
Play Soliloquy

This is the tenth collection of monologues from Shakespeare’s plays. Containing 20 parts.

Shakespeare Monologues Collection vol. 11 (Multilingual) Cover image

Shakespeare Monologues Collection vol. 11 (Multilingual)

Poetry Fiction Drama
Play Soliloquy

This is the eleventh collection of monologues from Shakespeare's various plays. Various characters will speak on various topics, some of these teach a lesson, some simply characterize Shakespeare at his best, some are funny, some sad, but all are ver...

Shakespeare Monologues Collection vol. 12 (Multilingual) Cover image

Shakespeare Monologues Collection vol. 12 (Multilingual)

Poetry Fiction Drama
Play Soliloquy

This is the 12th edition of the Shakespeare Monologues Collection, in which we bring you your favourite characters' monologues. All topics and emotions are covered, from love to hate, comedies and tragedies, world-famous and lesser known lines

Shakespeare Monologues Collection vol. 13 Cover image

Shakespeare Monologues Collection vol. 13

Poetry Drama
Play Soliloquy

This is the thirteenth collection of monologues from Shakespeare's plays. Our readers have chosen their favourite monologues from Shakespeare's famous comedies, tragedies, and histories, covering a wide range of topics, and emotions.

Shakespeare Monologues Collection vol. 14 Cover image

Shakespeare Monologues Collection vol. 14

Poetry Fiction Drama
Play Soliloquy

This is the fourteenth collection of monologues from Shakespeare's plays. Our readers have chosen their favourite monologues from Shakespeare's famous comedies, tragedies, and histories, covering a wide range of topics, and emotions.

Shakespeare Monologues Collection vol. 15 (Multilingual) Cover image

Shakespeare Monologues Collection vol. 15 (Multilingual)

Poetry Fiction Drama
Play Soliloquy

This is the 15th edition of the Shakespeare Monologues Collection, in which we bring you favorite characters' monologues. All topics and emotions are covered, from love to hate, drawn from Shakespeare's comedies and tragedies, world-famous and lesser...

Shakespeare Monologues Collection vol. 16 Cover image

Shakespeare Monologues Collection vol. 16

Poetry Fiction Drama
Play Soliloquy

This is the sixteenth collection of monologues from Shakespeare's plays. Our readers have chosen their favourite monologues from Shakespeare's famous comedies, tragedies, and histories, covering a wide range of topics, and emotions.

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