William Shakespeare is considered to be the greatest writer in the English language and dramatist. This English poet and playwright was baptized on the 26th April 1564 and lived until the 23 of April 1616. His birthday is believed by many to have been the 23 of April 1564. Shakespeare is referred to as England's national poet and the Bard of Avon, or simply the Bard. Shakespeare has had great influence on literature, culture, art, theater, and film.

Shakespeare's father, John Shakespeare was a glove maker and alderman, a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions. His mother, Mary Arden was from a fairly wealthy family. William attended Stratford grammar school, where he studied theater, acting, Latin literature and history. This is the only type of formal education he received. He may have been an apprentice for his father and a school teacher after being educated. It is believed that a visit of Queen Elizabeth's to nearby Kenilworth Castle, impressed Shakespeare so much that he recreated this in some of his plays.

At the age of 18, still a minor, he married Anne Hathaway, a farmer's daughter, who was 26 years old with his father's consent. They had three children, Susanna, who married famous physician John Hall and twin Judith and Hamnet. Hamnet, Shakespeare's only son died at the age of eleven and was the only heir. Judith married Quiney, who confessed to fornication with Margaret Wheeler, causing Shakespeare to leave Judith money. Nothing is known of Shakespeare during what is referred to as "The Lost Year"(1585-1592). It has been hypothesized that Shakespeare became a school teacher, butcher's apprentice, or was running from the law.

In 1592, he became a playwright and actor and had found a sponsor, Henry Wriothsley. Shakespeare worked sat the globe theater, as one of the Queen's Men, whose works were greatly anti-Catholic in a time of rising Protestantism. He wrote poems and plays, which were condemned in a 1592 pamphlet, distributed in London. The distribution of this pamphlet recognized Groats Worth of Witte, where Robert Green criticized Shakespeare calling him an upstart crow. His works were interrupted, when the theaters were closed due to the plague, in January of 1953. During this time, he was able to write more plays and sonnets.

Shakespeare worked for The Lord Chamberlain's Men until his death, when the acting company's name was changed to the King's Men, named after King James I when he took power in 1603. Shakespeare's successful plays made the company, the biggest and most famous acting company. He worked with his friend, actor, Richard Burbage, with whom he performed often in courts and theatre, co-owned such as Blackfriars, The Theatre, and the Globe in London until it burned down.

In 1611, Shakespeare retired and left to London. He wrote a total of 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. Shakespeare's plays have been translated to every major language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. Shakespeare wrote a will before his death stating that no one could touch his graveyard. During the time, corpse were dug up and burn to make room for another person, when graveyards were full. How and why Shakespeare died is unknown. Shakespeare was buried in the chancel of the Holy Trinity Church in Stratford upon Avon.