WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

The All Time Great Dramatist

William Shakespeare is considered to be the greatest playwright in the English language and one of the most beloved playwrights in the world.

Not much is known about Shakespeare’s life. He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, in 1564, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. In his late 20s, Shakespeare went to London and joined a theatre troupe. He also began to write plays.

Over the next 20 years, he wrote 38 plays and many poems. His writings  tell us that he knew a lot about human feelings, as well as about both city and country life. He had a deep insight into human psychology. Most of this stories were based upon old stories but still his characters and the way he told their stories attracted crowds of people to the Globe Theatre, where his troupe often performed. Four hundred years later, people still enjoy reading Shakespeare’s plays and seeing them onstage and in films. They quote his most famous lines (such as ‘To be or not to be’) and laugh and cry along with his characters. Shakespeare’s plays have remained popular for several reasons. His characters show realistic human emotions. His plots are often complicated, but they always hold the audience’s attention. And his language is powerful and poetic.

Some of Shakespeare’s plays, such as Hamlet, have very sad endings. They are called ‘tragedies’. Others, such as A Midsummer Night’s Dream, are full of silly plots and have happy endings. They are the ‘comedies’. Other Shakespeare plays, such as Julius Caesar or Henry V, are based on real-life figures and events. These are the ‘histories’. And some plays, such as Romeo and Juliet, have a little bit of everything: romance, comedy, and tragedy.

Shakespeare was so imaginative in his use of language that he created, or ‘coined’, over 2,000 words or sayings that people have used since.