William Shakespeare ( bapt. 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616)

(bapt. 26 April 1564 – 23

April 1616)

Little is known about him
Born and educated in Stratford-upon-Avon. Married Anne Hathaway. Left for London. Actor and dramatist.
Acted and wrote for Burbage’s company.
The Globe

Historical Chronicles – his interpretation of historical events and figures

(Richard II, Richard III, Henry VI,  King John, etc)
Comedies – optimistic and light (The Comedy of Errors, A Midsummer Night's Dream,  The Taming of the Shrew,  The Merchant of Venice, etc) 
Tragedy – the most optimistic and romantic of all his tragedies - Romeo and Juliet

masterpieces – King Lear, Antony and Cleopatra, Hamlet, Macbeth

3. Romantic, times

and places far removed from Elizabethan England. Allegories and fairy-tales.
Tragic comedies or ‘romances’ - Cymbeline, The Tempest, The Winter's Tale.

because he was the first author to write them down
coined

a lot of phrases - 'heart of gold' (Henry V), 'tower of strength' (Richard III) and 'Wild-goose chase' (Romeo and Juliet)

to be: that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the

mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep; No more; and by a sleep to say we end The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;