William Shakespeare: The Bard of Avon

The Master Playwright

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's greatest dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon". His surviving works consist of some 39 plays, 154 sonnets, three long narrative poems, and a few other verses.

His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. They continue to be adapted and reinterpreted in countless forms, from stage productions to film and opera.

Explore more about his era and works:

• Life in Elizabethan England
• Major Plays of Shakespeare
• Shakespeare's Sonnets