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.