William Shakespeare

literature · plays · poetry · history

The Bard of Avon. Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet, and actor who lived during a time when theater was becoming incredibly popular. People still call him the "Bard of Avon" because he was born in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon.

Wrote 39 plays. Shakespeare wrote around 39 plays, plus 154 sonnets (short poems with a special structure) and other poems. His plays are performed more often than any other playwright's works in the entire world.

Translated everywhere. His plays have been translated into every major language on Earth, which means people from Japan to Brazil to Norway can read and watch his stories in their own languages.

Still studied today. Hundreds of years after he died, Shakespeare's works are still read in schools and performed on stages around the world. People keep discovering new meanings in his stories and characters.

Greatest writer ever. Most experts agree that Shakespeare was the greatest writer in the English language. His influence on how people write and tell stories is still huge today.