Shakes ‧ peare, William /ˈʃeɪkspɪəʳ/ BrE AmE
(1564–1616) an English writer of plays and poems, born in Stratford-Upon-Avon in England, who is generally regarded as the greatest of all English writers. His many famous plays include the tragedies (↑ tragedy ) Romeo and Juliet , Julius Caesar , Hamlet , Macbeth , Othello , and King Lear , the comedies (↑ comedy ) A Midsummer Night’s Dream , Twelfth Night , and As You Like It , and the historical plays Richard III and Henry V . Many well-known English sayings come from Shakespeare’s work, and he had a great influence on the English language and English literature. Shakespeare also wrote poetry, including The Sonnets , and worked as an actor at the Globe Theatre in London.