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William Shakespeare (1564-1616). English poet and playwright –  Shakespeare is widely considered to be the greatest writer in the English language. He wrote 38 plays and 154 sonnets.

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Date of birth: April 23, 1564

Date of death: April 23, 1616

Birthplace and place of death: Stratford-upon-Avon, England

Married: 1582; to Anne Hathaway (who was eight years older)

Children: Susannah (1583); Hamnet and Judith (1585)

Known as actor/poet/producer: 1592 (Chamberlain’s Men – later King’s)

First published play: 1594 (Henry VI, Part Two)

Total number of plays: 37*

First book of plays published aka “First Folio”: 1623

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•The Merchant of Venice

•The Merry Wives of Windsor

•Much Ado About Nothing

•The Taming of the Shrew

•The Two Gentlemen of Verona

•The Comedy of Errors

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•Titus Andronicus

•Romeo and Juliet

•King Lear

•Hamlet

•Macbeth

•Othello

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•Julius Caesar

•Anthony and Cleopatra

•Coriolanus

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•King John

•Richard III

•Richard II

•Henry IV

•Henry V

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•154 sonnets in total

•Sonnets 1-17: calling upon a “Fair Young Man” to marry and preserve his beauty

•Sonnets 18-128: various topics and occasions, in several moods

•Sonnets 129-154: addressing a “Dark Lady” who has become an obsession with the poet