William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare is considered to be one of the most famous writers and playwrights of the mid Renaissance period. During his lifetime, he published almost 40 plays, over 150 sonnets and a number of other works (with debated authorship on a few works). While he wrote many comedies (as well as tragedies), he is well-known for employing dark themes in his writing, commenting on the cruel nature of human beings.

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon (Warwickshire, England) on 26 April 1564 and died on 23 April 1616. Some scholars have argued that Shakespeare practiced Catholicism - a banned religion during the time period in England.

Popular works by William Shakespeare

Shakespeare published many notable works that are still in popular culture today.

Note that the exact publication dates of his works are disputed; although, scholars tend to agree that he published most of his main works between the years of 1580 and 1608.

Common literary themes

Shakespeare's works are known for sharing common themes. Mainly, many of his writings are considered to be in the genre of tragedy as human suffering is a focal point. Additionally, the author tended to make power-hungry Princes, Kings and rulers main characters in his plays. Often times, the ruler underwent psychological duress or insanity, resulting in tragic (and deadly) outcomes. For example, Hamlet was a young Prince who lost everything in his quest for revenge and power. Learn more about Hamlet and how Shakespeare depicted his youthful nature.

Notable criticisms

While Shakespeare did gain lots of notoriety for his work, he did (and continues to) face criticism over the themes and contents of his work. For example, it is well known that he generally marginalized women in many of his writings. Feminists have argued that the popularity of his works have contributed to the enduring injustice women faced during his lifetime. Other critics have also cited themes of anti-Semitism (The Merchant of Venice) and depictions of racial inferiority (Blacks in Othello for example).

Notwithstanding, Shakespeare's work continues to draw readership in many school curriculums and his works have been translated to many languages around the world.