William Shakespeare was a famous English playwright and poet born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. He wrote 37 plays and over 150 sonnets that are still popular today. Some of his most famous plays include Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, King Lear, and Othello. He spent his early life in Stratford before moving to London where he began a career as an actor and playwright, writing plays for the most popular theaters of the time. Shakespeare is considered one of the greatest writers in English literature.