William Shakespeare

Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright and actor born in Stratford-upon-Avon, he is responsible for writing 39 plays (36 contained in his First Folio, 1623), 154 collaborations and many other verses. Often referred to as The Bard, his plays have been translated into nearly every language and performed more than any other playwright.

He created most of his known work between 1589 and 1613. His early plays consisted of comedies and histories (Richard III, Henry VI) written in a stylised language often rhetorical, but a conventional style of the day. Most of the tragedies, plays such as Hamlet, King Lear, Othello, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet were all written before 1608. His tragicomedies (romances) were created in later life, a period when Shakespeare often collaborated with other playwrights.

The plays were performed by the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, a company formed by leading players of the time including Shakespeare. In 1603, after the death of Elizabeth I, they were awarded a royal patent by King James I, and the company name changed to the King’s Men.

In 1599, the company built a theatre on the south bank of the Thames which they named The Globe.

It would be impossible to imagine the number of writers, poets, playwrights and novelists who have been inspired by his works, a fitting tribute and testament to his brilliance then, that over 400 years after his death, he is still so highly thought and widely respected.

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