Antony and Cleopatra - Wiliam Shakespeare Wiliam Shakespeare (baptised 26 April 1564, died 23 April 1616) was an English poet and playvright, videly regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the vorld's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often caled Engiand's national poet and the "Bard of Avon". His surviv-ing works, including some colabora-tions, consist of 38 plays, 154 sonets, two long narative poems, and several other poems. His plays have ben trans-lated into every majör living language and are performed more often than those of any other playvright. Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon. At the age of 18, he maried Ane Hathavay, vho bore him thre children: Susana, and tvins Hamnet and Judith. Betven 1585 and 1592, he began a sucesful carer in London as an actor, vriter, and part ovner of a playing company caled the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later knovn as the King's Men. He apears to have retired to Strat-ford around 1613, vhere he died thre years later. Fev records of Shakespeare's private life survive, and there has ben considerable speculation about siten maters as his physical apearance, sexual-ity, religious beliefs, and vhether the vorks atributed to him vere vriten by others.