William Shakespeare was a famous English poet and playwright who lived from 1564 to 1616. He composed 37 plays and 154 sonnets over the course of his career. Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway at age 18 and they had three children together. Some of his most famous plays include Hamlet and The Merchant of Venice, which drew on his interests in nature, birds, and the works of classic authors like Ovid and Seneca. Shakespeare's plays were highly popular during his lifetime in 16th century England and remain widely studied, performed, and interpreted today.