William Shakespeare (c. 1564–1616) was an English poet and playwright known for his prolific creative output during the Elizabethan era (1558–1603) in England. Although he first gained fame as a poet, he became best known for his many plays. Some of his most famous works include Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Macbeth, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Shakespeare is responsible for introducing hundreds of invented words into the modern English language through his plays and prose. His works have been translated into more than eighty languages, and many consider him to be one of the greatest English writers in history. Although Shakespeare’s true birth date is the subject of debate, most scholars mark it as April 23, 1564. He was...