Contents
William Shakespeare
Writing Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet and other enduring plays.
Romeo and Juliet · Hamlet
- Born
- April 1564
- Birthplace
- Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom
- Died
- 23 April 1616
More people
William Shakespeare
An English playwright, poet and actor whose work spans comedy, tragedy and history. His plays remain central to theatre in many languages.
Early life
Stratford origins
Baptised in Stratford on 26 April 1564; his exact birthday is not recorded.
Family
Married Anne Hathaway and had three children.
Career
- 1590s
London theatre
Established himself as an actor and playwright.
- 1594 onward
Theatre company
Worked with the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, later the King’s Men.
- 1599
Globe Theatre
Became a shareholder in the company associated with the Globe.
- Early 1600s
Major tragedies
Wrote plays including Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth.
Selected work
Romeo and Juliet
A tragedy of young lovers and feuding families.
Hamlet
A prince struggles with revenge, uncertainty and political decay.
Macbeth
Ambition and violence consume a Scottish ruler.
Sonnets
A collection exploring love, time and mortality.
Beyond the plays
Surviving records
Documents reveal parts of his business and family life, but many personal details remain unknown.
First Folio
Fellow actors helped publish a major collection of his plays in 1623, after his death.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Shakespeare Birthplace Trust: date precision ↗Photo: Attributed to John Taylor. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
