William Shakespeare was an English playwright and poet born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. He is considered one of the greatest dramatists of all time, known for his plays including Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, King Lear, Macbeth, and Othello. Shakespeare lived in Stratford from 1564-1585 and in London from 1585 until his death in 1616, where he wrote for and owned a share of the Globe Theatre. His greatest accomplishments include his famous plays and poems that are still performed today over 400 years later.