William Shakespeare, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's greatest dramatist, was an English playwright, poet and actor born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. His works include around 39 plays, 154 sonnets and several other poems, which have been translated into every major living language and are performed more frequently than any other playwright's. Shakespeare is often referred to as England's national poet and the 'Bard of Avon'.