William Shakespeare

<p>Widely esteemed as the greatest writer in the English language, William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was an actor and theatrical producer in addition to writing plays and sonnets. Dubbed "The Bard of Avon," Shakespeare oversaw the building of the Globe Theatre in London, where a number of his plays were staged, the best-known of which include <i>Romeo and Juliet</i>, <i>Hamlet,</i> and <i>Macbeth</i>. The First Folio, a printed book of 36 of his comedies, tragedies, and history plays, was published in 1623.</p>