William Shakespeare (baptised April 26 1564 – died April 23 1616)Dates use the Julian Calendar. Under the Gregorian calendar, Shakespeare died on May 3. was an English poet and playwright widely regarded as the greatest writer of the English language, as well as one of the greatest in Western literature, and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. Encyclopedia Britannica article on Shakespeare, MSN Encarta Encyclopedia article on Shakespeare, Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia article on Shakespeare. Accessed Feb. 26, 2006. He wrote about thirty-eight plays and 154 sonnets, as well as a variety of other poems. Already a popular writer in his own lifetime, Shakespeare's reputation became increasingly celebrated after his death and his work adulated by numerous prominent cultural figures through the centuries.Wikiquote information on Shakespeare. Accessed Feb. 26, 2006. In addition, Shakespeare is the most quoted writer in the literature and history of the English-speaking world. The Literary Encyclopedia entry on William Shakespeare by Lois Potter, University of Delaware, accessed June 22, 2006, and The Columbia Dictionary of Shakespeare Quotations, edited by Mary Foakes and Reginald Foakes, June 1998. He is often considered the English national poet The Making of the National Poet: Shakespeare, Adaptation and Authorship, 1660-1769 by Michael Dobson, Oxford University Press, 1995. Accessed Feb 26, 2006. and is sometimes referred to as the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "The Bard") Webster's Dictionary entry on "The Bard". Accessed Feb. 26, 2006. or the "Swan of Avon"."To The Memory Of My Beloved, The Author, Mr William Shakespeare, And What He Hath Left Us", a poem by Ben Jonson. Accessed Feb. 26, 2006.

Shakespeare is believed to have produced most of his work between 1586 and 1616, although the exact dates and chronology of the plays attributed to him are often uncertain. He is counted among the very few playwrights who have excelled in both tragedy and comedy, and his plays combine popular appeal with complex characterisation, poetic grandeur and philosophical depth.

Shakespeare's works have been translated into every major living language, and his plays are continually performed all around the world. In addition, many quotations and neologisms from his plays have passed into everyday usage in English and other languages. Over the years, many people have speculated about Shakespeare's life, raising questions about his sexuality, religious affiliation, and the authorship of his works.