William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was born in England in 1564. He wrote plays and poems that people still love today. His stories are full of kings, queens, fairies, and funny friends. Many people think he is the greatest writer ever in the English language.

His Life

Shakespeare grew up in a small town called Stratford-upon-Avon. His dad made gloves. When he was older, he moved to London to work in the theater. He got married and had three kids. He wrote and acted in plays for many years. He died in 1616.

An old painted portrait of writer William Shakespeare.
An old painted portrait of writer William Shakespeare. (Attributed to John Taylor / Wikimedia Commons)

His Plays and Poems

Shakespeare wrote about 39 plays. Some are funny, like 'A Midsummer Night's Dream.' Some are sad, like 'Romeo and Juliet.' Some are about real kings from long ago. He also wrote 154 short poems called sonnets. His plays were shown at a theater in London called the Globe.

Fun Facts

  • Shakespeare made up many new words that we still use today, like 'bedroom' and 'lonely.'
  • Boys played the parts of girls in his plays because girls were not allowed to act.
  • The Globe Theatre had no roof over the middle, so rain could fall on the crowd.

Did You Know?

Shakespeare was born and died on almost the same date in April, with 52 years in between.