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[[Image:Foliou.jpg|right|thumb|[[portraits|Portrait]] of William Shakespeare on the cover of the First Folio (1623), the first collected edition of his plays]]

[[Image:Foliou.jpg|right|thumb|[[portraits|Portrait]] of William Shakespeare on the cover of the First Folio (1623), the first collected edition of his plays]]

'''William Shakespeare''' (1564-1616) is the greatest English-language playwright of all time. Many of his plays are required reading in school curricula throughout the English speaking world and beyond; those taught in schools often include ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'', ''[[Macbeth]]'', ''[[A Midsummer-Night's Dream]]'' and ''[[Hamlet]]''.

'''William Shakespeare''' (1564-1616) is generally regarded as the greatest playwright in the English language. Many of his plays are required reading in school curricula throughout the English-speaking world and beyond; those taught in schools often include ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'', ''[[Macbeth]]'', ''[[A Midsummer-Night's Dream]]'' and ''[[Hamlet]]''.

Shakespeare wrote 17 comedies, 10 tragedies, 10 historical plays, 154 love [[sonnet]]s, and several other works of non-dramatic poetry.  All his plays are freely available on the internet.<ref>

Shakespeare wrote 17 comedies, 10 tragedies, 10 historical plays, 154 love [[sonnet]]s, and several other works of non-dramatic poetry.  All his plays are freely available on the internet.<ref>

http://www-tech.mit.edu/Shakespeare/</ref>

http://www-tech.mit.edu/Shakespeare/</ref>

Shakespeare spent his early years in Stratford-upon-Avon, [[Warwickshire]] and is also known as "the bard of Avon." Because of sharing the name "Stratford," the towns of Stratford, Ontario, in Canada and Stratford, Connecticut, have become the homes of Shakespeare festivals where his plays are performed on a regular basis.

Shakespeare spent his early years in Stratford-upon-Avon, [[Warwickshire]] and is also known as "the Bard of Avon." Because of sharing the name "Stratford," the towns of Stratford, Ontario, in Canada and Stratford, Connecticut, have become the homes of Shakespeare festivals where his plays are performed on a regular basis.

Shakespeare did not become famous until late in his life and consequently historians and biographers know very little about his earlier life. There are few pictures of him and the accuracy of the pictures is disputed.

Shakespeare did not become famous until late in his life and consequently historians and biographers know very little about his earlier life. There are few pictures of him and the accuracy of the pictures is disputed.