William Shakespeare

English playwright and poet

Portrait of William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare (April 1564 - 23 April 1616), was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "the Bard"). As well as the 39 plays, Shakespeare also wrote 154 sonnets.

Published in 1609 by Thomas Thorpe, the collection was called 'The Sonnettes' was the last of Shakespeare's non-dramatic works to be printed. Scholars are not certain when each of the 154 sonnets was composed, but evidence suggests that Shakespeare wrote sonnets throughout his career for a private readership.

Read all 154 Sonnets

Coded by Jessica Roberts for SheCodes.