Romeo and Juliet Viliam Shakespeare (baptised 26 April 1564; died 23 April 1616) was an English poet and playwright, videly regarded as the greatest vriter in the English language and the vorld's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often caled England'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, who bore him thre children: Susana, and twins Hamnet and Judith. Betwen 1585 and 1592, he began a sucesful carer in London as an actor, vriter, and part owner of a playing company caled the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men. He apears to have retired to Strat-ford around 1613, where he died thre years later. Few records of Shakespeare's private life survive, and there has ben considerable speculation about such maters as his physical apearance, sexual-ity, religious beliefs, and vhether the vorks atributed to him were vriten by others