William Shakespeare Quote: "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages." (As You Like It) Knowledge & Wisdom prints, posters, t-shirts & gifts. World of William Shakespeare and details of his life have fascinated people for centuries. Many mysteries surround William Shakespeare the Great Stratford playwright about his life, times and works including his plays, sonnets and poems. William Shakespeare (baptised April 26, 1564 , died April 23, 1616) is considered by many to have been the greatest writer the English language has ever known. As a playwright Shakespeare wrote not only some of the most powerful tragedies, but also many of the funniest comedies ever to appear on an English stage. Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets and several major poems, some of which are considered to be the most brilliant pieces of English literature ever written, because of Shakespeare's ability to rise beyond the narrative and describe the innermost and the most profound aspects of human nature. He is believed to have written most of his works between 1585-1610, although the exact dates are not accurately known. His most popular works include: Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, Julius Caesar, Henry V, Henry the Fifth, King Lear, Midsummer Night's Dream and the Tempest