William Shakespeare was born on 23rd April 1564 in Stradford-upon-Avon in central England. He was the third child of Mary Arden and John Shakespeare. William was 18 years old, when he married Anne Hathaway. They had 3 children, 1 boy and 2 girls, but their son Hamnet died in childhood. He was an actor, who had appeared in secondary roles, before he became playwright. In the first half of 1590s, Shakespeare became playwright for actors in "Lord Chamberlain's company". Group often played in front of queen Elizabeth I. Then, when James I replaced Queen Elizabeth, the company recalled "The king's Men". Since 1600 until 1613, when the theatre called "The Globe" burnt down, William wrote tragedies. William died in Stradford in 1616 probably on his birthday.

Shakespeare's earliest works were long poems and sonnets. He wrote 37 plays. At first he wrote his first comedies than several historical plays. In the second period he wrote his great comedies, English History plays, and his famous tragedy Romeo and Juliet. In the third period he wrote tragedies (Macbeth, Hamlet, Othello). His father and one son had died. After that he sad. He began writing romances and symbolic tales.